Time to make a big splash, it’s #NationalHippoDay! 🦛💦 By day, river hippos rule the water. These giants are the third heaviest land mammal on Earth, coming in just after elephants and white rhinos. Despite their size, they spend most of their time submerged in water, with only their eyes, ears, and nostrils breaking the surface as they rest, cool off, and even sleep. At night, they swap water for land, venturing out to graze under the cover of darkness. Did you know that when underwater, a reflex automatically seals their ears and nostrils? Every few minutes, they rise to the surface in an explosive burst of air, wag their ears clear of water, and slip back below, sometimes without even waking if they were asleep. When they do come onto land to bask in the sun, they never wander far. Their sensitive skin relies on water and a natural oily red secretion, often called “blood sweat,” to protect them from sunburn and drying out. Even with all this strength and size, river hippos fa...