Namibia's world record holders in nature: The Hippo

In what category does the hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) hold the world record? It has the largest mouth of any land animal. This was highlighted by the company Wildlife Vets Namibia in its latest newsletter.

"Hippos can open their jaws almost 180 degrees", it states. "In a full-grown hippo male, that means a gap of around 1.2m!"

The Wikipedia article mentions 'only' 150 degrees. But that does not make the hippo's mouth any less impressive. Humans can barely manage 40 degrees. Only a few snakes come close to the hippo's level.

How does the hippopotamus manage to open its mouth so wide? The joint between the upper and lower jaw is located extremely far back on the skull, explains BBC's DiscoverWildlife.com. Furthermore, the orbicularis oris muscle, which surrounds the mouth, can be spread apart like an accordion. This allows for extreme expansion.

Namibia's world record holders in the animal kingdom: The hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) has the largest open mouth (1.20 meters) of any land animal.  Photo: Diego Delso, Wikipedia.

Hippo not the most dangerous animal in Africa

Many attribute another, rather sad record to the hippopotamus. It is often said that it kills the most people in Africa. Indeed, it reacts very aggressively if you get too close – often unintentionally. Whether during the day by boat, when the hippo is diving, or at night, when it is grazing on land.

And for a herbivore, it has surprisingly long canine teeth. In male hippos, they measure up to 70 cm, with 30 cm protruding from the gums. Fatal encounters are reported from time to time.

However, the number of fatalities attributable to hippos is negligible compared to that of another certain animal. No, neither the lion. Nor the crocodile. Not even a snake. But a tiny creature, as DiscoverWildlife.com points out: the Anopheles mosquito.

Hippo's mouth record – only on land

Incidentally, the hippopotamus does not have the largest mouth of any animal on Earth. That record is held by the bowhead whale (Baleana mysticetus) by a wide margin. When it says 'ah', its mouth is five meters long, four meters high, and two and a half meters wide (see the Wikipedia article). A veritable barn door.

In Namibia, hippos can be found in the rivers of the Zambezi Region. Often, you hear them before you see them. With a loud snort, they surface after a dive.

Every now and then they emit a deep hum, followed immediately by four or five equally deep, short grunts. This humming and grunting is part of the morning and evening atmosphere of north-eastern Namibia.

Namibia's world record holders in nature: The hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the rivers of the Zambezi region has the largest mouth of any land animal.  Photo: Diego Delso, Wikipedia.