Collared Worm Salamander vs Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Oedipina collaris compared with Hippopotamus amphibius

Key Differences

• Collared Worm Salamander is Data Deficient while Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Collared Worm Salamander	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Caudata (Caudata)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Plethodontidae	Hippopotamidae (Hippos)
Genus	Oedipina	Hippopotamus (Hippos)
Species	Oedipina collaris	Hippopotamus amphibius

Evolutionary Relationship

Collared Worm Salamander and Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Collared Worm Salamander

DD — Data Deficient

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~130.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Collared Worm Salamander	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	40 years
Average Length	—	3.5 m
Average Weight	—	1.5 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Collared Worm Salamander

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

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.

Collared Worm Salamander

The Collared Worm Salamander, known scientifically as <em>Oedipina collaris</em>, is a slender, elongated salamander belonging to the family Plethodontidae, the lungless salamanders. <em>Oedipina collaris</em> is characterised by its worm-like body form, extremely elongated trunk with many vertebrae, short limbs, and a long tail — morphological features that adapt the species for a burrowing or semi-fossorial lifestyle. As a plethodontid salamander, <em>Oedipina collaris</em> lacks lungs and respires entirely through its moist skin, making it highly dependent on humid environments. The species inhabits freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan, body length, and weight are poorly documented for this species in available literature. The Collared Worm Salamander is currently assessed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List, indicating that insufficient information is available to determine its conservation status accurately, and further research on the species' distribution and population trends is required.

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.