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What do hippopotamuses eat at night?

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A hippopotamus stands at the edge of a watering hole, with several other hippos partially submerged in the water, surrounded by green vegetation in Botswana, Africa. — 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.

At night, hippopotamuses emerge from the water and travel up to 10 km (6 miles) along familiar paths into surrounding grasslands to feed. They graze by using their tough, wide lips to grasp grass and jerking their heads to tear it from the ground.1

Despite their massive size, hippopotamuses consume a relatively small amount of vegetation—approximately 35 kg (80 pounds) per night—because their energy requirements are low while they are buoyed in water during the day. They do not chew cud; instead, they retain the grass in their stomachs, where they extract protein through fermentation.1