If someone is interested in who the hippo and hippo are, the differences between them, then you should familiarize yourself with the publication proposed here. We will try to cover in detail all the questions concerning these interesting mammals.
Hippopotamus and hippo - differences
Do not take the reader by the nose for a long time, torturing him with omissions. If the question concerns an animal called an ordinary hippopotamus, then it is worth noting that it belongs to the Hippopotamus family, which also has a Latin name - Hippopotamidae. Trying to read this word, everyone will understand why this animal can have two names.
In other words, the name “hippopotamus” and “hippo” are equally suitable for this mammal. There is no difference between the animals they call. Just one word is the species name of a mammal, and the second is broader in meaning. It indicates the family in which this species belongs. In this case, “hippo” and “hippo” are one and the same.
Etymology of these words
So, we came to the conclusion that the definitions of “ordinary hippo”, “hippo” are synonyms, but derived from the roots of words from different languages.
The first name came to us from Hebrew. It means “animal”. But the second word - "hippo" - Latin. And in Latin it came from the Greek language. It is from the "hippo" that the international scientific name of these mammals came from. It literally means “river horse”.
Thus, there are differences between the words “hippo” and “hippo”. Only to find them you need to look into the etymological dictionary.
Dwarf and common hippos - different species and different families
Previously, these two species were assigned to the same genus. In scientific circles, he was called Hippopotamus, that is, "hippo." Apparently, then these words appeared in the dictionaries of synonyms in the same row.
But more recently, it was found that between these species there are big differences. And so for the dwarf hippopotamus, it was isolated in a separate genus called Hexaprotodon, by the name of extinct hippos.
So the answer to the question of how the hippo differs from the hippo can be a pun. It is in him that the main semantic features of these two words are revealed. "Every hippo is a hippo, but not every hippo is a hippo."
Who is the ancestor of hippos?
It so happened that hippos and pigs were considered the closest relatives. And such an opinion prevailed for many years. But it turns out, closer to the hippos are not pigs and boars, but ... whales! Although so far these are only the assumptions of scientists. And not all from the world of science accept this statement as truly true.
According to the modern version, about fifty million years ago, a kind of animal existed on Earth, close in size to the current raccoon, which was given the name Indochius. Subsequently, thanks to evolution, his descendants were divided into two branches. Whales came from one, and hippos from the other.
To date, only two species of these mammals are left on the planet. These are ordinary and dwarf hippos. Both live on only one continent - in Africa.
Differences between dwarf hippos from ordinary
In appearance, these mammals are very similar. Dwarf hippos appear to be smaller copies of the common ones. Nevertheless, these are different animals. And answering the question, what is the difference between a hippopotamus and a hippopotamus, probably they should be compared just. After all, the differences between these two species living now are observed not only in size, but also in the structure of the skeleton, skull, and number of teeth.
Dwarf hippos have longer legs and a neck than ordinary hippos. Their skull box is also smaller. If the hippo spine usually has a horizontal arrangement, then in dwarf hippos, the back is slightly inclined forward.
The differences between these species can even be "read in the face." In dwarf hippos, the nostrils and eyes are less noticeable than in ordinary ones. And their toes are spread apart more strongly. Moreover, the membranes in the dwarf species are expressed to a much lesser extent.
An interesting detail is the sweat color of dwarf hippos. They have it pink! But you should not think that it contains particles of blood - this is not so.
It is also worth noting the difference in the behavior of dwarf and ordinary hippos. Hippos are quite aggressive creatures. They are sensitive to the protection of their territory. Dwarf hippos usually do not care if a stranger accidentally wanders into their habitat. They never arrange internecine wars over the territory, practically do not fight over females.
It is this feature of them that allows you to keep small hippos as pets. Although in adulthood, they can reach a weight of two hundred and eighty kilograms. But this is not four and a half tons, what adult hippos become!
Dwarf hippos differ from ordinary ones in that they prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle. Hippos usually live in compact flocks.