Why are hippos so fat?

Hippos are known for their dumpy appearance. “However, there's lots of lipid in the gut, tongue, bone etcetera so total percentage [fat] for these animals is quite a bit higher than the blubber percentage suggests,” says Dr George. read more

They’re round, but not fat. Since they spend their lifetime in warm-to-hot locations, they don’t “need” fat in the way that seals, sea-lions, whales and other cold-climate mammals do. read more

The fat provides insulation since hippos spend so much daily time in water. Water has a high specific heat capacity so absorbs a lot of heat from. read more

Mammals that spend their lives in water have thick skin and a big layer of fat so they do not get hypothermia and die (once the body temperature goes too low). read more