Hippopotamus weighs around 8,000 pounds making it the second largest land animal after the elephant. Biologists compare its weight to that of the Indian rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros. Because of its physique, people falsely believe that the hippopotamus is a sluggish and slow animal. On the contrary, it is quite ferocious that can kill anyone in sight almost instantaneously. In fact, records indicate that hippopotamuses kill more people than any other animal. Interestingly, there are incidents from field researchers’ reports of hippos attacking boats mistaking them for crocodiles. However, four fascinating things about these fearsome-looking quadrupeds are less known.
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Typically, all carnivores in the world are ferocious predators. They chase and kill other animals in the forest for their food. For this, they use their power and force to their advantage. Kenya is full of such predators that live in the wild savannah and plains of the country. The 6 wild carnivores of Kenya are the leopard, wild dog, hyena, serval cat, genet and jackal. An encounter with any one of these vicious and violent animals can be deadly even to human beings. Hence, having any one of them as a house pet is probably not a good idea.
Travel to Kenya to get to know the wild animals
Travel to Kenya to get to know the safari land
The 3 species of zebra are Grevy zebra, mountain zebra and plains zebra. In 1882, the then Emperor of Abyssinia presented a zebra to the President of France whose name was Jules Grevy. This led to the coining of the word Grevy zebra. Mountain zebras usually take a dust bath daily. They have vertical stripes on the torso and neck as well as horizontal ones on the haunches. Plains zebra is the most widespread equine on earth. While in some parts they live a sedentary lifestyle, in other regions like Serengeti they migrate in response to the availability of water.
Various theories have been put forward as to the function of zebra stripes. According to a school of thought, its equine ancestor was striped, but they lost it during the evolution. Zebra’s black and white stripes remain a mystery to science even today because they seem out of place in the bush. Zoologists have yet to unravel the mysteries behind its signature striped suit. Scientists are not sure why zebras have not blended in with the browns and reds or why they have stripes. There are many theories and counter-theories to this riddle. Let us examine 2 of such theories.
Travel Through The Savannahs Of Kenya To Get To Know The Zebras
The role of zebra stripes has been an interest for 150 years. It has drawn many hypotheses. They include confusion of predators, camouflage, signalling to conspecifics and avoidance of flies. Regarding confusion of predators, these striped animals do not have the sort of pattern that aids in confusion. Regarding camouflage, zebra stripes are not easy for lions and hyenas to resolve at any great distance. Regarding social benefits, patterns of association and rates of grooming are no greater in striped mammals than in unstriped mammals. However, there is a consensus that the its role is to thwart attack from flies.
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