---
title: "Common Hippopotamus"
description: "Hippopotamus amphibius — Mammiferi. The hippopotamus, often shortened to hippo, further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/it/animal/common-hippopotamus
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Common Hippopotamus

> Hippopotamus amphibius — Mammiferi. The hippopotamus, often shortened to hippo, further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa.

- Scientific name: *Hippopotamus amphibius*
- Category: `mammals` (Mammiferi)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Laghi e fiumi), `zoo` (Zoo e animali domestici)
- iNaturalist observations: 17522
- Wikidata: [Q34505](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34505)
- iNaturalist taxon: [42149](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/42149)

## Names

- en: Common Hippopotamus
- de: Flusspferd
- es: Hipopótamo común
- fr: Hippopotame amphibie
- nl: Nijlpaard
- pt: Hipopótamo-comum
- pl: Hipopotam nilowy

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (5357), KE (2421), TZ (2095), BW (1393), UG (967), ZM (686), NA (488), ZW (431), MW (242), BJ (188), RW (164), ET (115)

## Summary

The hippopotamus, often shortened to hippo, further qualified as the common hippopotamus, Nile hippopotamus and river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus. Its name comes from the Ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος).

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus

## Photo

![Common Hippopotamus](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/common-hippopotamus/medium.jpg)

Photo: Angelica María Batista Morales · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/36204497

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/common-hippopotamus?lang=it` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).