Underneath that round, seemingly oily exterior isn’t ‘lard’: it’s muscle and more muscle and more muscle.
Hippos are about 5% body fat. It’s more or less the same percentage that elite bodybuilders have, which is curious, since the hippos’ diet is almost exclusively made up of grass.
It is the skin of these giants that deceives us: it is the main culprit for the illusion we have of Popota and his fellow species. Hippos’ skin is about 5 centimeters thick and is composed of a dense layer of tissues that act as a natural armorwhile also helping to retain moisture and protect them from the dangerous tusks of enemy hippos, which can reach 50 centimeters in length.
Furthermore, many people think that these curious giants sweat blood, but they are wrong: that red sweat is a natural secretion that acts as a sunscreen and antibacterial.
Their bodies are so dense and rigid that can’t even swim: in fact, hippos allow themselves to sink to the bottom of rivers or lakes and run through the sand, often faster than a human can swim.
