Hipo potamus4/9/2023 The youngest calf is always closest to the mother, while the eldest brings up the rear. Scientists have seen mothers with as many as three calves of various ages trailing behind them. Calves and their mothers remain close even after the birth of younger siblings. Females give birth to calves about once every two or three years. Weaning occurs when the calf is about six or eight months old. There, the calf hides under a bush while she eats. When the calf is a few weeks old, it begins to go with its mother to the grazing grounds at night. After this bonding period, the mother begins to graze on the bank during the day. The mother will attack any other hippo, including a territorial male, that approaches. For about ten days, the calf and its mother are solitary and stay close to the water’s edge. After a 240-day gestation, a mother gives birth in the water to a (relatively) tiny calf, weighing between 50 and 110 pounds (25 to 45 kg). Females breed with territorial males and may visit two or more different territories over the course of their two- to three-day estrus period. Mating occurs during the dry season and usually takes place in the water. Despite their thick skin, these fights can lead to serious injury or even death. When males fight for a territory, they rake their teeth along each other’s flanks. When a male enters another male’s territory, he becomes submissive to that male unless he intends to challenge him. Bulls mark and defend their territories with urine and feces, which they fling impressive distances by waggling their tails. Some adult bulls defend territories where they are the most dominant member. These groups break up for evening grazing. These rules are loose, though, and members of any sex or age may turn up in a group. Otherwise, hippos gather either in nursery schools-females and their calves-or bachelor groups. Solitary hippos tend to be females getting ready to give birth or elderly males. Preferable habitat can host gatherings of more than 200 hippos. Hippos prefer water that is slow-moving and deep enough to cover their bodies-5- to 6-feet (1.5- to 2.0-m) deep-along sandy, open shorelines. Group size depends on the desirability of the habitat. During the day, they rest in large pods made up of both sexes of various ages. Hippos have a loose, relaxed social structure.
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