How Much Does a Hippo Weigh? Hippo Size and Records

Average hippo weight: males and females

Hippos are not easy to weigh in the wild, so most figures come from animals measured in culling programs decades ago, from zoo animals and from estimates. The commonly cited averages are:

Today, researchers rarely put a wild hippo on a scale. Instead they estimate weight from body measurements or photographs, using formulas based on animals that were actually weighed, so published figures always carry some uncertainty.

The difference between the sexes is smaller than in many large mammals, and in the field cows and young bulls can be hard to tell apart. The gap grows with age, because females stop growing in their mid-20s while males seem to keep gaining weight through much of their lives.

How long and tall is a hippo?

Hippos are long, low and heavy. An adult stands only 1.3–1.65 m (4.3–5.4 ft) at the shoulder, lower than a tall person, because its legs are short and thick. Most adults measure about 3.3–3.5 m (11 ft) in head and body, and total length, including a 35–56 cm (14–22 in) tail, ranges from roughly 2.9 to 5 m (9.5–16.5 ft) for the largest bulls.

Much of that bulk is in the barrel-shaped body. The skin alone is about 5–6 cm (2 in) thick over much of the body, and the head is enormous, with jaws that can open to well over 90 degrees and lower tusks up to about 50 cm (20 in) long along the curve.

How much does a baby hippo weigh?

A hippo calf is born after a pregnancy of about eight months and weighs around 25–55 kg (55–120 lb), so a big newborn hippo is heavier than many adult dogs. Calves are often born in shallow water and can suckle underwater, closing their ears and nostrils while they feed.

They grow quickly on their mother’s milk and begin nibbling grass within weeks. Calves are weaned at about one year, and females reach adult size and breeding age at about 5–6 years, although they keep growing slowly for many more years.

What is the biggest hippo ever recorded?

Truly reliable records are scarce. Bulls weighing around 2,600 kg (5,700 lb) and more have been documented, and some older sources mention zoo hippos of 3,000–4,500 kg (6,600–9,900 lb). The heaviest of these figures are poorly documented and should be treated with caution, because zoo animals that eat well and exercise little can become much heavier than wild ones.

Hippos were once even bigger. An extinct relative, Hippopotamus gorgops, which lived in Africa during the Ice Age, is estimated to have weighed over 4,000 kg (8,800 lb), much more than a typical modern hippo.

Hippo vs elephant, rhino and other giants

Hippos are among the heaviest land animals, but they are not at the top:

So an average hippo is lighter than an adult white rhino bull, but large hippo bulls overlap with big white rhinos. For more on these giants, see How much does an elephant weigh? and How much does a rhino weigh?

Why are hippos so heavy?

A hippo’s weight suits its life in the water. Its bones are dense and heavy, which helps it sink and walk along river bottoms instead of floating. Water also supports much of its body during the day, so it can carry great weight on surprisingly short legs.

Despite their round shape, hippos are not especially fat. Much of the weight is muscle, the thick skin and a very long, multi-chambered stomach that holds large amounts of grass while it is slowly digested. A hippo eats about 35–40 kg (75–90 lb) of grass a night, which is a modest amount for an animal of its size.

How do the two hippo species compare?

There are only two living hippo species, and they differ hugely in size. The pygmy hippopotamus of West African forests weighs only about 180–275 kg (400–600 lb) and stands about 75–100 cm (2.5–3.3 ft) at the shoulder, so a common hippo can weigh six to eight times as much. Read more in How big is a pygmy hippo?