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How long can a hippopotamus hold its breath underwater?
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hippopotamus
The word hippopotamus is Greek for “river horse,” which reflects their behavior: they are often seen basking on the banks or sleeping in the waters of rivers, lakes, and swamps across Africa. They favor shallow areas where they can sleep half-submerged, though these places can become quite crowded—as many as 150 hippos may use one pool in the dry season.
A hippopotamus can hold its breath underwater for five minutes. Because their bodies are very dense, they are well-adapted to aquatic life and are able to walk along the bottom of rivers and lakes while submerged.1