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Black rhinoceros vs Hippopotamus

Black rhinoceros vs hippopotamus
Hippopotamus is larger on weight
Hippopotamus is 1.7× black rhinoceros on weight.

A black rhinoceros and a hippopotamus can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Black rhinoceros Hippopotamus
Weight 800–1,400 kg 1,300–3,200 kg
Height 1.4–1.8 m 1.3–1.65 m
Length 3–3.8 m 3.3–5 m
Top speed 55 km/h 25–30 km/h
Typical lifespan 35–45 yr 40–55 yr

What the numbers say

  • Hippopotamus is 1.7× black rhinoceros on weight.
  • Black rhinoceros and hippopotamus are near enough identical on height.
  • Black rhinoceros and hippopotamus are near enough identical on length.
  • Black rhinoceros is 1.8× hippopotamus on top speed.
  • Hippopotamus is somewhat greater than black rhinoceros on typical lifespan — about 1.1×.

Weight compared.

Hippopotamus 1,300–3,200 kg
Black rhinoceros 800–1,400 kg

Black rhinoceros

A browser with a pointed prehensile lip, smaller and more aggressive than the white rhino.

Hippopotamus

A semi-aquatic grazer, the third-heaviest land mammal and among the most dangerous to people.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, black rhinoceros or hippopotamus?
Hippopotamus is 1.7× black rhinoceros on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do black rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses compare on height?
Black rhinoceros: 1.4–1.8 m. Hippopotamus: 1.3–1.65 m. Black rhinoceros and hippopotamus are near enough identical on height.
How do black rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses compare on length?
Black rhinoceros: 3–3.8 m. Hippopotamus: 3.3–5 m. Black rhinoceros and hippopotamus are near enough identical on length.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution

How these figures are compiled and checked