Yet despite all these adaptations for life in the water, hippos can't swim—they can't even float! Their bodies are far too dense to float, so they move around by pushing off from the bottom of the river or simply walking along the riverbed in a slow-motion gallop, lightly touching the bottom with their toes, which are slightly webbed, like aquatic ballet dancers.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/hippo

Honestly that's scarier to me

[–] GarbageShootAlt2@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Maybe that's why they're "water horses", because they gallop underwater.

[–] portuga@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Yeah, not disputing that, but try to tell them while they’re eating your skull like it’s a watermelon snack

Edit: I know they’re herbivores. Doesn’t change the facts

[–] GarbageShootAlt2@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Oh certainly, they'll fuck you up way more readily and viscerally than a horse ever would, I just always wondered about the logic of their name.

[–] portuga@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Yeah water horse sounds right