06-02-06-050-s
Name:
Date:
Subject: Year 6 Literacy
Unit: Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
Quick facts
Diet: Herbivore
Life span in the wild: 40 years
Size: 2.8 – 4.2 m
Weight: 2,260 – 3,600 kg
Group name: Herd, pod, bloat
Status: Threatened
Hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) are one of the heaviest animals on land
and can weigh up to 3,600 kg. They spend most of the day bathing in rivers and lakes.
They lie almost submerged in the water with just their eyes and nostrils showing on top
of their heads.
Hippopotamuses are good swimmers and love the water which is why the Greeks
named them the 'river horse'. They can swim underwater for 5 minutes without
surfacing for air. They can also walk along the bottom of the river.
After dusk, hippos come out of the water onto land. They will travel miles to graze on
grass and spend between four to five hours eating.
Male hippos are called bulls. Female hippos, called cows, usually give birth to their calf
in the water but can also do so on land. Baby hippos are at risk of being killed by lions,
crocodiles, leopards, and hyenas, but fully grown hippos are seldom attacked because of
their enormous size and tusk-like canine teeth.
© Primary Leap Ltd. 2010
www.primaryleap.co.uk - Primary Resources
06-02-06-050-s
Name:
Date:
Subject: Year 6 Literacy
Unit: Hippopotamus
Hippos have four webbed feet that spread out, supporting the weight of the hippo and
making it easy to walk on land. They are also adapted for paddling through the water.
Hippos live in groups called a herd, pod or bloat.
Hippos inhabit rivers and lakes in central and southern Africa.
© Primary Leap Ltd. 2010
Score
8
06-02-06-050-s
Name:
Date:
Subject: Year 6 Literacy
Unit: Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
Answer the following questions:
1. How do hippos spend most of their day?
__________________________________________________________
2. What did the Greeks name the hippopotamus?
__________________________________________________________
3. How long does a hippo spend eating?
__________________________________________________________
4. A hippo's life span in the wild is:
a
25 years
c 50 years
b
20 years
d 40 years
5. What is a female hippo called?
__________________________________________________________
6. Do hippos have webbed feet?
__________________________________________________________
7. Do hippos live alone or in groups?
__________________________________________________________
8. Where do hippos live?
__________________________________________________________
© Primary Leap Ltd. 2010