I was reading an article about Mzima Springs in Kenya where they talked about hippos and their behavior. I came upon a confusing fact about hippos that I seem to be having trouble finding more information about it: "A hippo calf allows the vigorous attentions of a Labeo, a member of the carp family. Abundant in Mzima, Labeo use their wide mouths to scrape algae, parasites, and dead skin from hippos’ hides. To solicit these welcome cleanings, hippos go to certain areas of the springs where the fish congregate and adopt a cleaning stance, stretching out their limbs to open the creases in their skin. Other fish specialize in cleaning different parts of the hippos’ bodies. Barbus, for example, cleans the cracks in the soles of the feet, and tiny Garra grazes inside wounds." So, is it true that hippos actually use certain types of fish to clean their bodies? Also, please take this question seriously.
2007-10-19
14:50:33
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2 answers
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asked by
killerwhalesrule19
3
in
Zoology