---
title: "black rhinoceros vs hippopotamus — size, speed and bite force"
description: "black rhinoceros and hippopotamus compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encoun"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/black-rhinoceros-vs-hippopotamus/
site: "At One Place"
---

# black rhinoceros vs hippopotamus

**black rhinoceros vs hippopotamus: Evenly matched on the numbers**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A browser with a pointed prehensile lip, smaller and more aggressive than the white rhino. A semi-aquatic grazer, the third-heaviest land mammal and among the most dangerous to people. The measurements below split evenly, which is rarer than it sounds.

## The measurements

|  | black rhinoceros | hippopotamus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 800–1,400 kg | 1,300–3,200 kg |
| Length | 3–3.8 m | 3.3–5 m |
| Height | 1.4–1.8 m | 1.3–1.65 m |
| Top speed | 55 km/h | 25–30 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,800 psi |
| Lifespan | 35–45 yr | 40–55 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: hippopotamus is 1.7× heavier.
- Length: near enough identical.
- Height: black rhinoceros is 1.1× taller.
- Top speed: black rhinoceros is 1.8× faster.
- Lifespan: hippopotamus is 1.1× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a black rhinoceros bigger than a hippopotamus?

hippopotamus is heavier — 1,300–3,200 kg against 800–1,400 kg.

### Who would win, a black rhinoceros or a hippopotamus?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a black rhinoceros weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/black-rhinoceros/)
- [How much does a hippopotamus weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/hippopotamus/)
- [cheetah vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [cougar vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [domestic cat vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [grizzly bear vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [American black bear vs black rhinoceros](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-black-rhinoceros/)
- [American black bear vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [giant panda vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [gray wolf vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [coyote vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [African elephant vs black rhinoceros](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-black-rhinoceros/)
- [African elephant vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [Asian elephant vs black rhinoceros](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/asian-elephant-vs-black-rhinoceros/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)