All four legs of hippos leave the ground when they run, according to a recent scientific paper by John Hutchinson, a professor at the Royal Veterinary University in England, in which he analyzed the animals' gaits and the order of their steps based on video recordings.
Hippos can reach two tons in length, are particularly athletic and can run at speeds of 30-45 km / h. They move at full speed, and 15 percent of the time they raise all their limbs and tear through the air, although with an average flight time of 0.3 seconds, they are not yet considered birds or bats.
The herbivores belonging to the order Equatoridae were previously thought to be relatives of pigs and horses, but genetic analysis has determined that their closest relatives are cetaceans.
This is especially surprising because cetaceans are marine mammals. However, hippos cannot swim because they are too dense to float. Instead, they sink directly to the bottom of the water, where they walk and occasionally kick themselves to the surface for air.
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