Hippos average 3.5 metres (11 ft) long, 1.5 m (5 ft) tall at the shoulder, and weigh from 1500 kg to 3200 kg (3,300 to 7,000 lb). They are approximately the same size as the White Rhinoceros, and experts are split on which is the next largest land animal after the elephant. Male hippos appear to continue growing throughout their lives, whereas the females reach a maximum weight at around the age of 25. Females are smaller than their male counterparts, and normally weigh no more than 1500 kg. The value given above of 3200 kg is often quoted as being the upper limit of weight for a male hippo. However, larger specimens than this have been documented, including one which weighed about 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) and measured about 16 feet (5 m) long. Their skin weighs a ton, it is 4cm thick, bullet-proof and accounts for 25% of their weight. Even though they are bulky animals, hippopotamuses can run faster than a human on land. There are estimates of their running speed varying from 30 km/h (18 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph), or even 50 km/h (30 mph). The hippo can maintain these higher estimates for only a few hundred metres or yards.

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