Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo vs Guinean Arvicanthis

Hippopotamus amphibius compared with Arvicanthis rufinus

Key Differences

• Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is Vulnerable while Guinean Arvicanthis is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo	Guinean Arvicanthis
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Hippopotamidae (Hippos)	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Hippopotamus (Hippos)	Arvicanthis
Species	Hippopotamus amphibius	Arvicanthis rufinus

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo and Guinean Arvicanthis share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~130.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Guinean Arvicanthis

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Guinean Arvicanthis

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.