The hippopotamus is a strict vegetarian. It's diet consists of mainly terrestial grasses. At dusk, the hippo leaves its watering hole and travel as much as 6 miles inland to graze on short grasses, their main source of food. They may eat up to 100 pounds per night. The only two things hippos require to live is deep water and a good supply of grass.
In the wild, the hippo feeds on soft grasses and other low lying plants, aquatic and reed plants, leaves and fallen fruit. Like a living lawnmower, it crops grass with its lips, then grinds it into a pulp with its large molars.
The digestive system of the hippopotamus, unlike other hooved grazers, does not ruminate its food. They do not regurgitate the partially digested food and chew it again, making their system ineffective in comparison to those that do. Their slow-paced lives, however, make up for this by keeping their energy usuage to a minimum. |
