Are Hippopotamus' Herbivore, Carnivore or Omnivores?
By raijin
@raijin (10345)
Philippines
March 5, 2007 1:58am CST
As to what alot of us knew, hippos are herbivores. They only eat plants, on to what I have also thought.
But recently, I seen a documentary about their behaviors. I saw a man was viciously attacked by one of the hippos that almost caused his arm, and also his dear life. Hippos also attack and kill some of their own, maybe when food is scarce or maybe because other male hippos see them as a threat in the future. By this, cannibalism has already been proved. And the attack on humans only means that they have the tendency to change their moods, to which there's also a possibility that they are Omnivores.
So how would we classify this animal? Has anyone else seen their documentary on, National Geographic Channel?
3 people like this
4 responses
@freesoul (3021)
• Egypt
5 Mar 07
No, I haven't seen the documentary you are talking about but from other things i saw about hippos I know that they are territorial and can be dangerous in seasons of mating, you didn't make it clear about cannibalism, can they actually eat/consume flesh/meat of their victim? I guess attacking, killing or mutilating: humans, other species or their own species doesn't makes them cannibals/Carnivorous if they don't actually "eat" their victim.
@MrCoolantSpray (1005)
• United States
5 Mar 07
I think they're herbivores. My wife grew up in Africa, and according to statistics she read about, more human deaths are caused by hippos than lions, alligators, crocodiles, and the like combined, if I recall correctly. People just walk into a hippo's mouth without paying attention and get mauled. It's not so much eaten as attacked.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157563)
• United States
6 Mar 07
I was always under the impression that they were omnivores, but I do not know where I got that idea. I think I have heard of them attacking people before. I do not know what diet they feed them in the zoo.
@sneezeklenex (344)
• United States
5 Mar 07
I believe they only attack humans or animals when they feel threatened. I don't believe they eat them. They might if the situation called for it, but I strongly believe they are not omnivors.
