Dr. Rebecca Lewison

What are they eating? Are they eating mostly plants? They are eating mostly plants. So they are herbivores. They eat grass. So we can be a little bit more specific than that. They're basically like lawnmowers. They eat a tremendous amount of grass and it has to be pretty short grass. Why? Well, because it's just wait till we unpack this.

Like hippos are amazing head to tail, but they don't really have a neck. They don't really have any structures in the back of that part of their spine. So they can't really lift their heads up like when you think of like giraffes or elephants. They can't do that. So they're really limited by the grass height.

Like hippos are amazing head to tail, but they don't really have a neck. They don't really have any structures in the back of that part of their spine. So they can't really lift their heads up like when you think of like giraffes or elephants. They can't do that. So they're really limited by the grass height.

Like hippos are amazing head to tail, but they don't really have a neck. They don't really have any structures in the back of that part of their spine. So they can't really lift their heads up like when you think of like giraffes or elephants. They can't do that. So they're really limited by the grass height.

Yes, that's a great question. And it's a little bit of a yes. They do forage on the banks. But what you'll see if you're in a place where there are a lot of hippos is you really know a lot about where hippos are going because they have these trails. And you can look down on the trail and see like a hippo print, another hippo print. So they just follow these trails for a really long time.

Yes, that's a great question. And it's a little bit of a yes. They do forage on the banks. But what you'll see if you're in a place where there are a lot of hippos is you really know a lot about where hippos are going because they have these trails. And you can look down on the trail and see like a hippo print, another hippo print. So they just follow these trails for a really long time.

Yes, that's a great question. And it's a little bit of a yes. They do forage on the banks. But what you'll see if you're in a place where there are a lot of hippos is you really know a lot about where hippos are going because they have these trails. And you can look down on the trail and see like a hippo print, another hippo print. So they just follow these trails for a really long time.

So they're really well established to what we call grazing lawns. So areas of short grass that are some distance away from usually the water where they're in.

So they're really well established to what we call grazing lawns. So areas of short grass that are some distance away from usually the water where they're in.

So they're really well established to what we call grazing lawns. So areas of short grass that are some distance away from usually the water where they're in.

Yeah, it's crazy. We think they eat somewhere between like maybe 50 to 100 pounds. We don't 100% know because it's hard to tell. And obviously in captivity, their diet is much better. You'll see them like eating watermelon or pumpkins, you know, if you've seen the videos. So they're not necessarily super particular on the species of grass, just the height of the grass.

Yeah, it's crazy. We think they eat somewhere between like maybe 50 to 100 pounds. We don't 100% know because it's hard to tell. And obviously in captivity, their diet is much better. You'll see them like eating watermelon or pumpkins, you know, if you've seen the videos. So they're not necessarily super particular on the species of grass, just the height of the grass.

Yeah, it's crazy. We think they eat somewhere between like maybe 50 to 100 pounds. We don't 100% know because it's hard to tell. And obviously in captivity, their diet is much better. You'll see them like eating watermelon or pumpkins, you know, if you've seen the videos. So they're not necessarily super particular on the species of grass, just the height of the grass.

So I think these grazing lawns are there because of them. And they continue to get mowed down by hippos. And they're pretty long lived. So I'm sure they have a lot of information that they store. And if you want to study, like if you were a graduate student and you were captivated by foraging behavior, that's what you do. You'd follow the paths. You'd sit in a vehicle and you'd get some...

So I think these grazing lawns are there because of them. And they continue to get mowed down by hippos. And they're pretty long lived. So I'm sure they have a lot of information that they store. And if you want to study, like if you were a graduate student and you were captivated by foraging behavior, that's what you do. You'd follow the paths. You'd sit in a vehicle and you'd get some...

So I think these grazing lawns are there because of them. And they continue to get mowed down by hippos. And they're pretty long lived. So I'm sure they have a lot of information that they store. And if you want to study, like if you were a graduate student and you were captivated by foraging behavior, that's what you do. You'd follow the paths. You'd sit in a vehicle and you'd get some...

crude night scope and you'd watch them for hours and hours and hours. And that's basically what I did. Are they nocturnal? Yes. They only come out of the water at night. What? And we think that's because of thermoregulation, right? They're adapted to be in the water. They don't do well if there isn't standing water and they'll die without that. So in the dry season.

crude night scope and you'd watch them for hours and hours and hours. And that's basically what I did. Are they nocturnal? Yes. They only come out of the water at night. What? And we think that's because of thermoregulation, right? They're adapted to be in the water. They don't do well if there isn't standing water and they'll die without that. So in the dry season.

crude night scope and you'd watch them for hours and hours and hours. And that's basically what I did. Are they nocturnal? Yes. They only come out of the water at night. What? And we think that's because of thermoregulation, right? They're adapted to be in the water. They don't do well if there isn't standing water and they'll die without that. So in the dry season.

And so for most of the year, they are only coming out of the water at you know, when it's dusk and getting dark. So yeah, what I would do is sit, I would drive my Land Rover to the place where that foraging lawn was and then I would sit on the roof with a pretty old school night scope and watch them forage. That was, that's what I did for about a year.