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SteveAustin

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Hippo - vs - Bull Shark

 

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HIPPO

(Hippopotamus amphibius)

 

After the elephant, there is no land animal larger than the hippopotamus. Though a vegetarian, it is an extremely dangerous animal, killing more humans in Africa each year than even the largest carnivores. Closely related to whales, the hippopotamus spends much of its life floating or swimming in deep water, where it moves with surprising grace. It can remain submerged for more than five minutes. On land it can trot up to 30 mph, but prefers to take its time grazing on terrestrial grasses.

SIZE: An adult can weigh between 6,600 and 9,000 pounds and measure between 12 1/2 and 15 feet from head to rump.

 

HABITAT: A range that once stretched across sub-Saharan Africa, has been reduced somewhat. Today, the largest populations are found along the Nile River Valley in East Africa. It's also found in West Africa. Around-the-clock access to water is essential, and hippos live in deep lakes and rivers near grasslands and reed beds.

 

STATUS: The hippopotamus is fairly common across its range. Though under no immediate threat, it has been hunted extensively in the past and has lost much of its former habitat to human encroachment. A subspecies that lives in Chad and Nigeria is listed as "Vulnerable" by the World Conservation Union.

 

STRENGTHS:

• It has 2 1/2-foot-long, tusk-like canines growing from its bottom jaw.

• It is highly adapted to life in the water, with webbed toes and nostrils that can close underwater.

• It has a giant mouth with a 150-degree gape — that's a width of up to 4 feet.

 

WEAKNESSES:

• Its outer skin is very sensitive and dries out easily when on land.

• It can run fast in a straight line, but has a hard time making quick turns on land.

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BULL SHARK

(Carcharhinus leucas)

 

A frequent denizen of lakes and rivers, the bull shark has a stocky build and blunt snout lined with several rows of sharp, serrated teeth. Small, piggish eyes provide poor vision, so it relies on scent and electrical fields to find prey. When entering a river it expels salt through its gills, in its urine and from a gland in its tail to match the salinity of the surrounding freshwater. The bull shark uses its massive size to overpower just about any animal it runs across. An ambush predator, it feeds primarily on fish, turtles, birds, dolphins and other sharks.

SIZE: An adult can weigh between 200 and 500 pounds. The larger females can reach 11 feet in length, while males average 7 feet from snout to tail.

 

HABITAT: Of all the sharks, the bull shark is the most tolerant of freshwater habitats. It is found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. It can survive in the open ocean, but it prefers to hunt in shallow, murky waters commonly found along coastlines, estuaries and inland channels.

 

STATUS: There is some concern that human activity has caused the bull shark to decline in numbers. It is a popular target for sports fishermen and often ends up as by-catch in commercial fisheries. Much of its inland habitat has been heavily impacted by humans.

 

STRENGTHS:

• Its body is streamlined, enabling it to cut quickly through the water.

• It can adjust the level of salt in its body to survive in both fresh and saltwater.

 

WEAKNESSES:

• Its fins are stiff, so it may have trouble maneuvering in tight spaces.

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Originally posted by SteveAustin

I know who won.

 

eat your lunch. ;) I'm skipping mine.

 

why are you holding out on me?

i have work to do!

 

seriously though, i had some veggie fried rice.

it was yummski.

 

now i want a chocolate bar.

 

anaconda v jaguar sounds ill

 

especially if ice cube is in it.

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^ ha-ha.

 

yeah...I'm sure Ice Cube is in it.

 

damn...you already ate?

I've got some work for you to do. ;)

ha-ha...check your mail.

the answer awaits.

 

I could go for some chocalate as well. Either an intensely dark chocolate or a swiss version of it.

 

edit:

apparently yahoo mail is really, really slow right now. gmail me.

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