Baby Hippo! Some facts: Female Hippos have a gestation period of eight months and have onl

Baby Hippo! 

Some facts: 

Female Hippos have a gestation period of eight months and have only one baby at a time. At birth, the baby, called a calf, is a whopping 50 to 110 lbs. (23 to 50 kg). For 18 months, the baby nurses while its mother is on land, or it swims underwater to suckle. When it dives, the calf closes its nose and ears to block out water. All hippos have this ability. They also have membranes that cover and protect their eyes while they are underwater. At 5 to 7 years old, the hippo calf is fully mature; the median life expectancy of a hippo is 36 years.