12 (Free!) Printable Hippo Coloring Pages That Are Big On Fun
When you think of hippopotamuses, a few things probably come to mind. You might think of the classic toddler game Hungry Hungry Hippos. If you’re a fan of Disney characters, you might think of the dancing hippos in Fantasia. Or, if you’re on the internet much, you might think of the very real, very adorable, and shockingly famous Fiona the hippo. From basically being just another animal to see at the zoo, hippos have become a well-loved creature that many people seek out and take no shame in calling them their “favorites.” Hey, we get it. No matter how many animal jokes you can make at a hippo’s expense, it’s still easy to love ’em. Hippopotamuses may be gigantic — and dangerous — but they’re also pretty darn cute with their rounded, twitching ears and big, squishy-looking noses. If you have a hippo fan in your midst, they’re probably ready to collect all the hippo-themed things you can find. And we’re here to help with hippo coloring pages.
Not only are hippo coloring pages big on fun, but they also help build lifelong skills. Coloring with your toddler, for instance, can teach your child self-regulation, hand-eye coordination, and focus. Once your hippo fiend has finished these coloring pages, they can go even bigger with whale coloring pages. Or, if you want to teach your child about other African animals, print out our giraffe coloring pages, cheetah coloring pages, lion coloring pages, and elephant coloring pages.
Free Printable Hippo Coloring Pages
Hippo No. 1
Sure, hippos look huge, but just how huge are they? The third largest land mammal after elephants and white rhinos, hippos can weigh up to almost 10,000 pounds! Though, a female hippo usually averages only about 3,000 pounds. And speaking of hefty hippos, did you know the game a World War II veteran, Fred Kroll brought Hungry Hippos to the United States? He carried the game from Japan.
Hippo No. 2
They’re also fairly long. Most hippos are between 10 and 17 feet long. Need perspective? The average bedroom size is around 12 feet long. That means a pet hippo probably couldn’t fit comfortably in your bedroom. On the other hand, they typically only grow to about five-ish feet tall at the shoulder. And what would you name this hippo? Choose one of the names from the Hungry Hippos game. Did you know they each had names? Lizzie was the purple one, Henry was orange, Home was green and Harry was yellow. All of these monikers sound like great hippo names.
Hippo No. 3
Just imagine how tall they’d be if their legs weren’t so short and stubby! Those little legs are pretty useful, though. Hippos are mobile creatures, maxing out at around 30 miles per hour. While hippos spend about two-thirds of their day in the water, they don’t actually swim. Instead, they use those same chunky legs to push off rocks and surfaces to move through the water. And fun fact: If a hippo ever felt threatened, they do a massive yawn to show their large teeth. This lets other animals know to stay back!
Hippo No. 4
While hippos are technically land mammals, they have some pretty cool features that help them adapt to the water. For instance, hippos can hold their breath and stay underwater for about five minutes at a time. They can all also close their ears and noses to water. Between that and the protective membranes that protect their eyes underwater, hippos are rather adept in the water. Baby hippos even nurse underwater sometimes.
Hippo No. 5
Speaking of baby hippos, when a hippo calf is born, it weighs between 50 and 110 pounds. That’s roughly the size of a grade-schooler! Hippos gestate for about eight months, which makes a hippo pregnancy progress similarly to that of a human.
Hippo No. 6
Hippos are considered “mature” or “adult” sometime between the ages of five and seven. Seem early? Hippos only live about 36 years.
Hippo No. 7
During their 36 years, hippos are reasonably social beings. In the wild, they live in groups of 10 to 20 hippos, called a bloat. Typically, bloats consist of all female hippos and one male.
Hippo No. 8
While hippos might be social, they’re not exactly gentle. Hippos get into some serious fights! Like many large mammals, those fights typically involve charging and ramming into one another. Ouch!
Hippo No. 9
Ever hear the “statistic” that more hippos kill people than sharks do? That might be true. While hippos are herbivores (meaning they eat vegetation), they have nasty tempers. If you enter their territory or they’re spooked while on your territory, they’re likely to attack.
Hippo No. 10
Ever heard of Fiona the hippo? Fiona made international news when she was born at the Cincinnati Zoo in early 2017. She was the first-ever Nike hippo to be scanned via ultrasound, still in her mama’s belly. Even cooler? Fiona was a preemie! She was born six weeks early, at only 29 pounds. Thanks to the hard work of zookeepers and veterinarians, Fiona survived. She still lives with her mom, Bibi, at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Hippo No. 11
If you needed another reason to love hippos, here’s one: As you can see above, they’re all about family. We love to see a parent-child duo. But speaking of family, did you know hippos are related to whales and porpoises? When you think about it, they do have similar features!
Hippo No. 12
Do you know what they call a group of hippopotamus? This may sound like the setup to a joke, but there’s no punchline to this question. The answer is a boat.
Click here to print all of the hippo coloring pages at once!
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