Why do Hippopotamus kill more people?
[ 2006-03-17 08:08 ]
 The hippo's yawn is not a sign of sleepiness or
boredom but is actually a threat gesture, displaying long,
thick, razor-sharp canine teeth, or tusks, with
which it is capable of biting a small boat in half. Being
fearlessly protective of their turf and young, hippos have
killed more than 400 people in Africa - more than any other
wild animal.
Hippopotamus amphibious means "river horse." The
hippo, weighing 1 800 kg (4,000 pounds) and more, lives in
Africa, south of the Sahara and along the length of the Nile
river, although its range once included Asia and large parts
of Europe. Hippos prefer rivers with deep water and nearby
reed beds and grasslands, but are also found in salt-water
areas near river mouths, and in lakes in Central Africa. They
are hoofed vegetarians, feeding on grass, fallen fruit, and
occasionally on cultivated crops such as sugar cane or corn
during the night. They spend most of the day in the water.
The hippo is the third biggest land animals, slightly
smaller but heavier than a white rhino (the elephant is
the biggest). In spite of its huge size - 3 metres (12 feet)
in length, 1,5 metres (five feet) tall, with a mouth measuring
a half metre (two feet) across - the hippopotamus can outrun a
human. The bellowing of a bull hippo measures an
ear-splitting 115 decibels, sounding like the roar of a
lion.
Nearly all of the famous African explorers and hunters -
Livingstone, Stanley, Burton, Selous, Speke, DuChaillu - had
boating mishaps with hippos. All considered the hippo to be a
wantonlymalicious beast. Spencer Tyron, a hunter, was
killed while hunting near the shores of Lake Rukwa, Tanzania.
A bull hippo turned over the dugout canoe from which Tyron was
shooting, and bit off his head and shoulders.
Recent DNA evidence suggests that the hippopotamus is more
closely related to cetaceans (whales and dolphins) than it is
to any other artiodactyl (even-toed hoofed
mammal). |
犬齒
獠牙
兩棲的
白犀牛
咆哮
不懷好意的,惡意的
偶蹄動物
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