14 months. Hippos are most closely related to: cows. Mating takes place in the water with the female under water during most of it. 10 months. whales Advertisement. Males mature at about 7.5 years of age. They have a gestation period of eight months. A male hippo is called a Bull, while the Female is a caw and the younglings are calves. The gestation period of the female hippopotamus lasts for 8 months and a single calf is born during the rainy season. The young are born after a gestation period of eight months and maturity is only achieved at about 3 and a half years. They mate in the water. Males reach sexual maturity by the time they reach 7 or 8 years of age. Fun hippo facts They have a gestation period of 240 days, and babies are usually born underwater. After a gestation period that lasts for around eight months, the female Hippopotamus gives birth to a single calf generally during the rainy season. The cub rides on it mother’s backs for safety and its mother strongly protects it. However, a pod tends to have about 30 hippos. The female gestation period lasts eight months and produces just one offspring (this is rather fortunate, given they can weigh 110 pounds on birth). The gestation period is just 8 months, only slightly shorter than the human gestation period. TRIVIA. Male hippos (bulls) will reach sexual maturity after 7 years, and females (cows) after 9 years. Pregnant hippopotamus facts. As can be seen in the chart, apes (including humans), monkeys, big cats, and rodents can be clearly grouped according to their gestation period. Hippos tend to live in groups, which can be as large as 100. At 18 months from birth, the calves are fully weaned and leave their mother when they are 7-8 years old. Gestation Period in Days : 15-20. Advertisement. pigs. Hippo Reproduction. The platypus and 4 species of echidnas do not give birth to live young, despite being a mammal. Raising a hippo. Calves are often left in creches guarded by one to several cows. The female hippo reaches sexual maturity between five and six years of age. Animals related to each other usually have similar gestation periods. Can You Identify These Highly Intelligent Animals? How long is the hippo gestation period? One calf is born underwater. Hippo calves will live beside their mothers until the age of 7 or 8. The gestation period takes 8 months. Female hippos reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of eight months. Right after its birth, the baby can walk, run or swim. A study of endocrine systems suggests that female hippies can begin puberty at the age of three or four. Although like many other activities (including mating) the Hippopotamus often gives birth in the water, it is not actually that uncommon for their young to be born on land. However, the hippo calf is about 10 times larger than a … Explore More Quizzes. 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