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You are here: Home / Science / Are the rhino and hippo in the same genetic family or are they completely different species?

Are the rhino and hippo in the same genetic family or are they completely different species?

April 9, 2020 by Karen Hill

You’d think so, wouldn’t you?

Both are large, ill-tempered, stumpy-legged herbivores. The hippo is second only to the elephant in the category of “heaviest land mammal”; the rhino is third.

However, they are not related. The rhino’s habitat may vary, depending on the species, but they are exclusively land-dwellers.

The hippo, in contrast, spends over half of its life in the water. Biologically, its closest living relative is the pig.

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Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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