Hippopotamus
part 1
Quick Quiz - How much do you remember?
1. The Greeks called the Hippo a “River horse” because it loves the __________.
2. Why do Hippos stay in the water up to 16 hours a day? _________________
___________________________________________________________.
3. How long can Hippos hold their breath under water? ___________________.
4. Why did God place the Hippos eyes and nose on the top of its head? ________
___________________________________________________________.
5. What was today’s amazing fast fact? _______________________________
___________________________________________________________.
Digging Deeper
1. Read Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 19:1, Matthew 6: 26-29 and Romans
1:20-25. Why does the Bible say God created such a variety of different
looking, uniquely designed creatures? How should we, as Christians view these
creations?
2. Review the Creation story in Genesis 1.
On what day did God create the Hippopotamus?
**Preview**
Why do you think the Hippopotamus has such
thick skin?
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Color me!
Hippopotamus
part 2
Quick Quiz - How much do you remember?
1. T/F The Hippopotamus is a very friendly, domestic animal. ______________
2. The thick skin of the Hippopotamus is beneficial because it _____________
it’s muscles.
3. With this thick skin, Hippos can withstand fights with other ____________
and even attacks from a _______________!
Digging Deeper
1. Read Genesis 3: 15-22, and Romans 8:18-25, how did Adam’s fall affect
creation?
2. Read Isaiah 11:6-7, 65:25 and Romans 8:20-23. How are these pictures
different than what we see in the animal wild today?
3. What does the skin of the Hippo show us about
God despite man’s sin? Read Ephesians 1:7-11
and Romans 5:12-21.
**Preview**
What do you think would happen to the
Hippo’s skin after so many fights and
attacks?
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Color me!
Hippopotamus
part 3
Quick Quiz - How much do you remember?
1. “Blood sweat” is an amazing secretion God has given the Hippos to help them
avoid ______________ from open wounds!
2. What color is “blood sweat” first and what does it turn into when it is exposed
to air?
3. List the three things the Hippo’s antiseptic “blood sweat” can do
a. cleanses __________,
b. kills ___________,
c. speeds up the ________ process.
4. What other ingredient does “blood sweat” include?
Digging Deeper
1. **Research** Look up different characteristics of the natural habitat of the
Hippopotamus. What do you think would happen to Hippos that did not have
this “blood sweat”? How is this an argument for God’s design over the slow
development of evolution? 2. Compare and contrast human sweat to Hippo “blood sweat”.
**Preview**
What do you think a Hippo eats to maintain its size?
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Hippopotamus
part 4
Quick Quiz - How much do you remember?
1. Even though they are large, the Hippopotamus has a ________________ diet.
2. Hippos consume 80-100 pounds of ____________, traveling up to ______
miles each night!
3. How many pounds of grass can Hippos have digesting in their stomach at any
one time? _________________
4. Hippos are the ______ heaviest landanimal after the elephant and white
rhinoceros and yet can run up to ______ miles an hour!!!!
Digging Deeper
1. **Research** What other large animals are strictly vegetarian?
2. **Research** Compare the speed of the Hippo to some of these other animals.
**Review**
Where does the Hippopotamus spend most of its
time during the day? How long can they hold their
breath under water? (Part 1)
**Preview**
How do you think the Hippo can stay underwater
for so long?
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Color me!
Hippopotamus
part 5
Quick Quiz - How much do you remember?
1. How are the Hippo’s lungs different from human lungs?
___________________________________________________________
2. Why is this type of lung beneficial to the Hippopotamus?
___________________________________________________________
3. What would seem to be the problem with having lungs like this and living in the
water?
___________________________________________________________
Digging Deeper
1. Read Psalm 104 focusing on verses 24 and 25 and I Corinthians 8:6. What
do these verses say about God and how can that be applied to the different
designs he has for different creatures?
Color me!
**Preview**
How do you think the Hippopotamus can stay
under water with so much air filling its lungs?
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Hippopotamus
part 6
Quick Quiz - How much do you remember?
1. Which body part allows the Hippo to stay at the bottom of a lake or river?
___________________________________________________________
2. How is this part of the Hippo designed to act like a “weight belt”?
___________________________________________________________
3. Why is this “weight belt” necessary for the Hippopotamus to survive? ___________________________________________________________
Digging Deeper
1. **Research** Compare the following
average weights of these African
animals. Like the Hippo, how do you
think the weight of these animals allows
them to live and survive according to
their design?
Hippopotamus
White Rhinoceros
African Elephant
Cheetah
African Lion
5,000-8,000 lbs.
3,178-7,920 lbs
5,000-14,000 lbs
77 to 143 lbs
265-420 lbs
Color me!
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Hippopotamus
Review Activities
Word Search
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Hippopotamus
Review Activities
Matching Game
1. ___
2. ___
3. ___
4. ___
A Hippo’s ___ protects its muscles from damage.
The Greeks called the Hippopotamus a ___.
The Hippo’s eyes and nose are located ___.
The Hippopotamus is a very territorial and ___
creature.
5. ___ A secretion that protects the Hippo from infections
is called ___.
6. ___ The secretion also includes ___ which helps protect
the skin of the Hippo.
7. ___ The Hippopotamus eats large amounts of ___ every
night.
8.___ Even though the Hippo is very large, it is very ___.
9. ___ The lung of the Hippo is ___ so it can take in large
amounts of air.
10. ___ God designed the Hippopotamus with very dense
___ so it can stay underwater full of air!
Labeling Activity
Using the photo on the right,
label the parts of the Hippo that
were highlighted in the videos.
A. Eyes and nose on top of head
B. Thick Skin
C. ”Blood Sweat”
D. Lungs
E. “Weight belt” solid leg bones
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
one compartment
Water Horse
friendly
sunscreen
fast
lobed
legs
thick skin
on the top of its head
grass
meat
on the side of its head
dangerous
“blood sweat”
Hippopotamus
Review Activities
Coloring Page
Color the hippo in its natural habitat.
The heavens declare the glory of God
and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalms 19:1
Hippopotomus Answer Sheet
Part 1
1. Water
2. Protection from the African sun.
3. Up to 5 minutes.
4. They can keep their body under water while taking a breath.
5. The skin of the Hippo can be up to 2 inches thick!
DD 1
1. The variety, design, and beauty we see in creation displays the power, glory, and magnificence
of God. As Christians we should see the animals and world around us as such and take up our
“dominion” (Gen. 1:26-28) over them. At the same time we need to be very careful that we see God’s
creation as pointing to the Creator. Romans warns us about those who worship God’s creation in
place of the Creator.
2. The Hippopotamus was created on day 6 with the “livestock and creeping things and beatsof the
earth according to their kinds.” (Genesis 1:24b)
Part 2
1. False, the Hippo is very dangerous and territorial.
2. protects
3. Hippos, lion
DD 2
1. God gave Adam dominion over creation, so when he fell, the whole creation suffered. What God had
declared as “good” would have reflections of evil in them due to the death, pain, suffering, and enmity
that came because of the fall.
2. These verses show peace between animals that today we see violence between. It shows us that sin
has affected what God had declared good and even creation will experience a form of redemption
when sin is no more.
3. God’s will is accomplished with “wisdom and insight” (Ephesians 1:8) even through our sin. God has
all power and His plan of redemption includes a design in creation that reveals his grace.
Part 3
1. infection
2. “Blood sweat” is clear until exposed to air when if becomes red.
3. cleanses wounds, kills bacteria, speeds up the healing process
4. “Blood sweat” also includes sunblock!
DD 3
1. The water the Hippos spend most of their time in is very dirty and full of bacteria. Hippos that did
not have “blood sweat” would most likely get infections due to the open wounds that would be easy
access for these bacteria. According to evolution, the Hippopotamus slowly evolved from a whale.
The problem is, whales do not have “blood sweat” and even if a whale could grow legs and go live
in a swampy river, they would die due to infection very quickly. God’s design perfectly equips the
Hippopotamus to live and thrive in the environment he meant them to be in. 2. Sweat in the human body is used to maintain body temperature by cooling the skin through
evaporation. “Blood sweat” in the Hippo is used to clean wounds and help the healing process while
protecting the skin from the sun.
Hippopotomus Answer Sheet
Part 4
1. vegetarian
2. grass, 6
3. 300 pounds
4. 3rd, 30
DD 4
1. Some animals include Rhinos, Giraffes, Elephants, Pandas, and some Gorillas.
2. North African Ostriches: fastest birds on land at 40mph
Cheetah: 61 mph
Lion: 50 mph
Quarter horse: 47.5 mph
Elephant: 40 mph
Saltwater crocodile: 17 mph
3. **Review** The Hippo spends most of its time in the water and can hold their breath for up to 5
minutes!
Part 5
1. Human lungs are made up of lobes; the Hippo lobe is one big compartment
2. It allows the Hippo to take in a lot of air to stay under water longer.
3. A large amount of air would make you float to the top.
DD 5
1. God’s design is intentional, not the product of chance mutations. He created every creature with true
perfect wisdom and power.
Part 6
1. its legs
2. the bones are very dense and heavy
3. it allows the Hippo to stay submerged underwater for protection from the sun
DD 6
1. Talk about the different habitats of these animals along with their speed, eating habits, etc.
Matching Review
1. H
2. B
3. I
4. M
5. N
6. D
7. J
8. E
9. A
10. G