How Do Hippos Mate? | eHow.com - 0 views
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Andrew Gonzales on 11 Apr 11The breeding season for hippos is when the season is at the driest. Breeding during the dry season times the birth so that the that the baby hippos will be born during the rainy season when there is a lot of grass to forage and eat. This is important to the survival of the babies because the mothers will not have to move areas to obtain enough food to survive while the baby is still too young to travel. Mating Hippos mate in the water. The male hippo mounts the female hippo from behind. The buoyancy of the water helps the female hippo to not get injured from the male hippo's weight during the mating process. The male hippo can weigh twice as much as the female hippo, and with his short legs in comparison to his body, he is not able to hold his weight off of the female. The buoyancy of the water serves the function of minimizing his weight.