# What Do Hippopotamuses Eat?

> What hippopotamuses eat: Herbivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

- **Species:** Hippopotamus (*Hippopotamus amphibius*)
- **Conservation status:** Vulnerable
- **Diet:** Herbivore
- **Habitat:** Rivers, lakes, and wetlands
- **Lifespan:** 40–50 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** 30 km/h (19 mph) on land
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hippopotamus/what-do-hippopotamus-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hippopotamus/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The hippopotamus is a massive semi-aquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, weighing up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Despite a plant-based diet, hippos are highly territorial and are considered one of the most dangerous large animals to humans in Africa. Wild hippos live around 40 to 50 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Life in and out of water

Hippos spend up to 16 hours a day in water to keep their huge bodies cool and protected from the sun. They cannot truly swim; instead they walk or push off along the riverbed and can hold their breath for around five minutes. Their skin secretes a reddish substance, sometimes called blood sweat, that acts as a natural sunscreen and antibiotic.

## Help protect the Hippopotamus

The hippopotamus is listed as Vulnerable, with habitat loss the leading threat to its future.

[Donate to protect habitat](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/appeals/habitats/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/hippopotamus/what-do-hippopotamus-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.