Hippos are a fascinating animal. They have an almost mythical status in the public consciousness, and yet they’re also endemic to Africa. One of their most interesting features is how fast they can run when needed.
People often ask how fast hippos can run, but it’s actually difficult to answer this question definitively because there is such a wide range of speeds that these animals will move at on land. Generally speaking though, you could say that their top speed is about 30 miles per hour or 11 meters per second if they were running in short bursts over very short distances.
The most common speed that you’ll see a hippo at is about 18 miles per hour or eight meters per second. This would be seen when they’re walking along over longer distances, and also if they were taking short breaks every now and then to catch their breath. Hippos are actually surprisingly good walkers on land because of how dense their bodies are even though it doesn’t look like the case from far away! They have many adaptations in terms of feet, legs, teeth and eyes which allow them to move around without too much trouble. However, due to this density there’s an increased risk for overheating so these animals will often spend time in rivers or lakes where the water can cool them down as well as provide sustenance.
A hippo’s top speed is actually a little slower than the world record for short distances, which makes sense considering they’re not really built to move fast in that way it would be uncomfortable on their feet and less efficient with how much body fat they have! The upshot of this though is that when you see one moving quickly, it usually means there might be danger nearby so keep your eyes peeled:)
It takes about four seconds for them to reach 18 miles per hour from a complete stop because of how heavy they are and how many muscles it takes just to get started. It should also be noted that these animals can hold their breath underwater for as long as five minutes at a time while looking around using their eyes and ears for predators.
They aren’t built to cover long distances quickly, but they are very good at short distance sprints and bursts of speed when necessary. A study in 2006 found that the average hippo can run up to 18 miles per hour for short periods of time usually only needing a few seconds before slowing down again because their feet couldn’t handle it! This is still faster than most humans; just don’t try keeping pace with one:)
The average human can run about 18 miles per hour for short periods of time. However, because hippos are so big and their feet aren’t suited to running long distances, they slow down quickly when sprinting like this. The study found that the maximum speed a hippo could maintain was only around 30 km/h [18mph] which is still faster than most humans!
Hippos usually try to escape from predators rather than confront them head on; while they’re fast over short distances, it’s been estimated that no one has ever seen a full grown male African elephant outrun an adult female hippopotamus in open ground
When being chased by predatory animals such as lions or crocodiles, hippos are capable of surprising bursts of speed when necessary. They can reach speeds up to 20 km/h [12 mph] for short distances, and they are surprisingly agile on land
Lastly, hippos have been clocked at a marathon-like pace by zoologists following them in boats; these animals reportedly reached an impressive 15km per hour over the course of 31 minutes (11 miles)
Hippopotamuses like most mammals typically run around 18mph or less. However, because hippos are so big and their feet aren’t suited to running long distances, they slow down quickly when sprinting like this. On average, in a normal sprint, they can only manage about 12mph.
The average hippo is around 16-20 feet long and weighs between two to three tons It’s not uncommon for them to be chased by predators like lions or crocodiles when out in the open ground so they have adapted to being able to run short distances very quickly. When necessary, these herbivores are capable of surprising bursts of speed at speeds up to 20 kilometers per hour [12 miles per hour]. Hippos also show great agility on land: They can turn their bodies around with ease (which may come in handy if you’re trying to escape a predator!). Lastly, some zoologists believe that a female hippopotamus was clocked at marathon speed of 20 mph.
