Community Magazine December 2013

KISLEV 5774 DECEMBER 2013 77 Unique Traits The hippopotamus is a semi-aquatic animal that spends up to eighteen hours a day in the water. The hippo was created with a very unique set of character traits in order for it to be well-suited for such a life. Since it lives in a habitat that is extremely hot during the day, it is necessary for the hippo to live in the water to escape the immense heat from the sun. The hippo’s eyes, ears, and nostrils are located at the top of its head, which means that when the hippo is immersed in the water, it is still able to see, hear, and breathe. Incredibly, when the hippo needs to submerge itself completely underwater, it is still able to see. This is because its eyes are equipped with a special, clear membrane that protects them while still allowing them to see when underwater! Another amazing fact about the hippo is that its ears and nostrils automatically shut upon contact with water. In addition, it is able to breathe underwater between five to six minutes, and can even remain underwater for as long as thirty minutes, if necessary. The hippo has four webbed toes on each foot, enabling it to travel along the slippery banks of the river. Yet, despite its love of the water, the hippo is not a very good swimmer. Its body is too dense to float, so instead it is only able to walk along the riverbed or push off from the bottom of the river. The hippo often likes to relax in the river in order to absorb enough water to keep its skin moisturized. The hippo has very unique skin that needs to be kept wet for a good part of the day to prevent dehydration. Its skin does not have true sweat glands; instead, it secretes a thick, oily, red substance from its pores known as “blood sweat,” because it looks like the hippo is sweating blood. This creates a layer of mucus that protects the skin from sunburn and keeps it moist. Additionally, it is thought that this mucus may also work as an antiseptic which prevents infections, since most of the rivers that hippos live in are dirty and bacteria filled, yet the hippo’s wounds do not get infected. Did You Know? • The milk of a hippopotamus is bright pink! • Although a hippo might look overweight and out of shape, it can easily outrun a human. • Hippos are hostile toward crocodiles, which many times live in the same rivers as them and prey upon the baby hippos. Hippos have also been known to attack humans, and even boats. • The only two land animals that are larger than the hippopotamus are the elephant and the white rhinoceros. • The hippo is one of the noisiest animals in Africa. Its vocalizations have been measured at 115 decibels. The following are excerpts from Exploring the Wild World of Animals by Efraim Harari, published by Israel Bookshop Publications. Q : What do you call an insincere hippo? A : A hippocrite VOLUME 2 – NOW AVAILABLE IN ALL JUDAICA STORES! Following the wild success of Exploring the Wild World of Animals , the first book in his “Jewish World of Wonders series,” author Efraim Harari is back with a second volume, one which explores the beautiful and mysterious world of fish and other aquatic creatures. In Exploring the Wet &Wild Underwater World , readers are taken on a spectacular journey through the oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes of the world, to learn the wonders and design of thirty-five beautiful and unique marine animals.