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Why do hippopotamuses fling feces and urine with their tails?

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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.

Hippopotamuses use their tails to fling feces and urine in a wide arc as a routine display to indicate that a territory is occupied. When adjacent territorial bulls encounter one another, they often perform this action—with their rear ends out of the water—as a way of marking and defending their space.1