Barbary fig vs Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Opuntia ficus-indica compared with Hippopotamus amphibius

Key Differences

  • Barbary fig is Not Evaluated while Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Barbary fig Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Chordata (Chordates)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Mammalia (Mammals)
Order Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales) Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family Cactaceae Hippopotamidae (Hippos)
Genus Opuntia Hippopotamus (Hippos)
Species Opuntia ficus-indica Hippopotamus amphibius

Conservation Status

Barbary fig

NE — Not Evaluated

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~130.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Barbary fig Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Diet — Herbivore
Average Lifespan — 40 years
Average Length — 3.5 m
Average Weight — 1.5 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Barbary fig

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (23 countries), Asia (10 countries), Europe (13 countries), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (9 countries).

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Barbary fig

The Barbary fig (Opuntia ficus-indica) is a species in the genus Opuntia. Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in.

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Africa's most dangerous large mammal, common hippos can reach 3,200 kg and inhabit rivers, lakes, and wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa. Semi-aquatic, spending up to 16 hours daily submerged to keep cool, they graze on land at night. Despite appearing docile, hippos are extremely aggressive and territorial, responsible for hundreds of human fatalities annually. Vulnerable, with populations threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting for ivory tusks.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

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