Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How wide can a hippopotamus open its mouth?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
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 has a mouth that is half a meter wide and can gape up to 150° to display its teeth.1