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You are here: Home / Animals / Does the Hippopotamus Sweat Blood?

Does the Hippopotamus Sweat Blood?

May 15, 2020 by Karen Hill

The hippopotamus, the second largest land animal after the elephant, spends most of its time partly submerged in a river. When the hippo does climb out of the water, its skin often secretes drops of a bright red liquid that looks just like blood.

Some circuses used to claim that they had “blood-sweating hippos” on display, but this red liquid is not blood, it’s sweat. The hippo secretes a red oil that mixes with its sweat to keep the hippo’s hide moist and soft, thus preventing it from drying out in the hot sun.

Though it may weigh as much as 6,000 pounds, the hippo isn’t harmless and can be aggressive!

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  • Do Fish Have Blood and Hearts, What Color Is Fish Blood, and Why Don't Fish In Stores Have Blood?
  • Where does the expression "to sweat blood" come from and What does it mean?
  • Where does the saying "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" come from and What does it mean?
  • Do hippos sweat their blood and what causes this?
  • What Color is a Hippo's Sweat and Why is it Often Mistaken As Blood?

Filed Under: Animals

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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