It’s time to answer the age old question of who would win in a fight between the fierce rhino and the brawny hippos.
Both animals sit at top of the food chain with no known predators.
How would their differences in attributes and instincts measure up against each other? Do rhinos and hippos ever fight in real life? Who would win? Let’s find out.
Tale of the Tape
Rhino |
Hippo |
|
Max Weight |
2,000-5,000lbs | 3,300-4,000lbs |
Max Length |
13ft | 14ft |
Max Height |
6ft | 5 ft |
Habitat |
Africa: grassland | Sub-Saharan Africa: lake, rivers, swamps |
Lifespan |
35-40 years | 40 – 50 years |
Bite Force |
N/A | 1,825 psi PSI |
Speed |
30-40mph | 30mph |
Temperament |
Nervous | Aggressive |
Diet |
Herbivore | Herbivore |
Rhino Attributes
A Rhino is the tank of the animal kingdom. Their imposing size, their armor like skin and deadly horns makes them a formidable opponent.
The largest rhino species is the white rhino. They can exceed over 5000 pounds, are 13 feet long, 6 feet tall and can achieve speeds of 31mph.
They have a massive muscled body, large head, a short neck and broad chest.
Their skin is around 1.5 – 5 cm thick and is formed from layers of collagen positioned in a crisscrossed framework.
Their horns can grow up to 60 inches in length and are made of keratin, the protein that also makes up hair and nails of humans.
They have a large hump in their neck that is made of pure muscle and which allows them create a powerful swing of their horn.
While white rhinos are calmer, the black rhino has a reputation for being extremely aggressive, and charges at any perceived threats.
Black rhinos have been known to fight each other. They have the highest rates of mortal combat recorded for any mammal: 50% of males and 30% of females die from combat related injuries.
Despite their massive size, Rhinos are incredibly agile and can reach speeds of 30mph.
The rhino’s biggest weakness is it’s notoriously bad vision. Their eyesight is considered one of the worst in the animal kingdom and ranks up there with bats and moles.
Because of their diminished population and the prevalence of inbreeding, poor vision has been bred into the genetics. To compensate for their poor vision they rely on their rely on sense of smell and hearing to navigate their surroundings.
Strengths: Sharp horn, thick armor skin, speed
Weakness: Poor vision
Hippo Attributes
Hippos are one of the firecest and most deadliest animals on earth. They account for more human deaths than any other animal, not including disease carrying insects. It is estimated that hippos kill around 500 people each year.
Hippos are one of the largest living land mammals. Only elephants and white rhinos are bigger. They grow up to 16 feet long and up to 5 feet tall at the shoulder. The average female weighs around 3,000lbs, while males weigh 3,500 to 4,000 lbs.
Surprisingly for their size, they’re speedy runners, hitting top speeds of around 20 miles per hour.
They have thick skin, which is several inches thick on their flank. They have sharp ivory tusks that can grow up to 2 feet in length and their mouths can opens 150 degrees wide.
Hippos have the strongest bite force of any herbivore on the planet and the third largest bite force of all animals. They can clamp down with a force of nearly 2,000 PSI and are said to be capable of biting a 10-foot crocodile in half.
These highly aggressive and territorial animals are unpredictable and can attack with little provocation. Crocodiles are often on the receiving end of their agression, as they live in the same habitat.
Their aggression is not limited to crocodiles. Male hippos are in a constant fight over life and death with other male hippos over access to female mating partners. Around 90% of less dominant males are excluded from mating.
Not surprinsgly, they have no natural predators and live freely among crocodiles, lions and hyenas.
Strengths: Aggression, fight experience, bite force, ivory tusks
Weakness: none
Rhino |
Hippo |
|
Size |
✓ | |
Strength |
✓ | |
Intelligence |
✓ | |
Aggression |
✓ | |
Bite Force |
✓ | |
Agility |
✓ | |
Speed |
✓ | |
Fighting Instincts |
✓ |
(Related: Lion vs Crocodile: Who Would Win In A Fight?)
Final Verdict: Who Would Win In A Fight?
Some people say the rhino would triumph because of its larger size, vicious horn, and faster speed. However the hippo has more advantages, that include its enormous mouth that can deliver a massive bite force with its ivory tusks. The hippo can see better since rhinos have poor eyesight, and a hippo has much more fight experience gained from defending his harem, whereas the rhino, who lives a solitary life, gets in a tussle with other rhinos on occasion.
The Rhino has a slight size advantage, however this fight will be dictated by aggression, instincts and fight experience.
Hippos are often considered to be the most ferocious and aggressive animals in the animal kingdom and deservedly so. In contrast, Rhinos are nervous, passive and only attack when they feel threatened.
The stereotype of rhinos being aggressive killing machines is totally incorrect. Rhinos only appear aggressive because their poor eyesight causes them to see almost anything as a possible threat. They have been even observed in nature attacking trees and termite mounds. This poor eyesight puts them at a great disadvantage.
The rhino’s best strategy against an rhino is by ramming it at full speed with its horn. To get to its full speed it will need to be at a far distance, which would put it out of viewing range of the hippo.
We can theorize all day, but lucky for us there are videos of hippos and rhinos duking it out in real life!
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