Channel: What Lurks Below

Category: Education

Tags: strong animalsstrongest animalanimals attackhippo attackwild animalswild predatorsanimals fight backwhat lurks underneathhippo attacks humanwild life attack on cameraendangered animalslion huntlion attackanimals fightinghippo vs lionanimals huntlion attacks humanwhat lurks belowhippo eatwild animals head to headoceans explainedanimals fightanimals head to headafricas deadliestanimals going head to head

Description: Who will win if they go head to head! These wild animals are both strong predators, but who is stronger if they go head to head? How do they attack? What is their lifespan? Are they endangered? Will the Hippo or Lion come out on top?! SUBSCRIBE for the latest videos: goo.gl/7xzjzR Round 1: Habitat Where do these creatures live? Let's begin with lions. These beasts live in scattered populations across sub-Saharan Africa. Lions rarely enter closed forests, and as such, are absent from rainforests. Instead, they prefer grassy plains and savannahs, scrub bordering rivers, and open woodlands with bushes. Lions also have been recorded at pretty high elevations. They have been recorded as high as 11,800 feet above sea level on Mount Elgon in Kenya. There used to be lions widely distributed in Asia. Moving on to hippos, they used to be widespread in both Africa and Europe. Now, though, they can be found almost exclusively in Africa. Since they are semiaquatic creatures, they spend a lot of time in rivers and lakes. They can be found in both Savannah and Forest areas. An ideal habitat for these creatures will have grass they can graze on and water they can swim in. Although they prefer freshwater habitats, some of them can be found in estuaries and even by the sea.  What are their relative populations? It is estimated that there are between 125,000 and 150,000 hippos in the world today. Their populations have been declining rapidly over time. Out of these populations, Zambia and Tanzania are the countries with the greatest number of hippos, coming in at 40,000 individuals and 30,000 individuals, respectively.  Estimates of lion populations vary, although their figures in the wild are said to be about 200,000 or fewer. Like hippos, their populations have been declining rapidly over the years. Most of these individuals live in Africa; however, a small population of about 500 individuals can be found in Asia.  Round 2: Diet What do these creatures eat? Hippos are herbivores, so they eat grass and other vegetation. Sometimes, they eat aquatic vegetation too. Hippos are born with sterile intestines and require bacteria obtained from their mother's feces to digest vegetation. Very rarely, when food is scarce, they eat corpses, particularly from members of their own species.  Lions are classified as generalists hypercarnivores. They are both keystone and apex predators. This means there's no meat they find which they won't eat. However, they do have their preferences, and this includes blue wildebeest, plains zebra, African buffalo, gemsbok, and giraffe. They tend to hunt in packs, with female lions doing most of the heavy lifting.  Round 3: Lifespan How old can they get?  Hippos typically live between 40 to 50 years. Like most other animals, they tend to live longer in captivity, where they don't have to worry about food, adverse weather conditions, or predators. One of the oldest living hippos was Donna the Hippo. She lived at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana, in the US. She died in 2012, at the age of 61. There was also a Hippo named Bertha who lived in the Philippines. She died at the age of 65 in 2017.  Lions live up to 8 to 10 years in the wild and up to 10 to 15 years in captivity. A lioness named Zenda was the oldest lion ever. She lived in Philadelphia Zoo. And she died at the age of 25 years old.  Round 4: Bigger Threat to Humans Although both of these creatures are ferocious, Hippos are a way bigger threat to humans than Lions are. Lions tend to mind their business and will tend to stay away unless threatened or provoked. Hippos, on the other hand, are rather belligerent, killing as many humans in a year as humans kill them. It is estimated that 500 to 1000 humans are killed by Hippos each year.  Round 5: What are these creatures hunted by? Hippos co-exist with many different predators. Some of these include lions, crocodiles, and hyenas. However, hippos are quite capable of defending themselves. Because of their aggressive and unpredictable nature, they aren't really hunted. Any animal that tries is met with a swift end. On the food chain, they are primary consumers.  Round 6: Speed As we stated earlier, lions don't really have the best stamina. As such, they can sprint in only short bursts. However, within those short bursts, they can attain speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.  Hippos, being most aquatic and terrestrial, have different speeds depending on the terrain. Hippos run faster than humans, at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. In water, they go much slower, at speeds of up to 8 miles per hour.  Round 7: Special Skills and Adaptations Lions have many special adaptations which allow them to maintain their spot at the top of the food chain. These include an acute sense of smell, night vision, powerful paws, sharp claws, sharp teeth, rough tongue, and loose belly skin.