Lipripper
Active Member
Hippos often do that.... Now here is your chitty fact of the day.
Hippopotamus spend most of their time in the water. The water helps lift the weight of the animal, making travel easier. As a consequence, most of the defecation is performed in the water.
One land (when they must go), there is the addition of several species of flies which are attracted to the hippofeces. The tail action will help keep the annoyance to a minimum.
It seems that most reports of poo flinging to mark territory or attract mates are still in the realm of guess work. The experts know that the hippos fling feces, but no real experiments have been undertaken to prove why they do this behavior.
See the first reference:
"Hippos are not territorial on land. The spraying of bushes with feces occurs when the hippo vigorously wags its tail while defecating, thus spreading the droppings far and wide. The purpose is not clear but it may have a social function as a dominance display or possibly the deposits may serve to orientate the hippo during its nocturnal wanderings."
Often urine as well as feces can be used in the fling. Females as well as males have been observed to fling. Males in zoos (born in captivity) with no other males present have also been recorded as flinging.
Hippos sense of smell and hearing are good but their eyesight is poor. Some recent researchers have suggested that the poo fling is used to help the hippo find its way through the tall grass to the water where it spends most of its time.
Addition:
Recent observations report that breeding males are the most likely to use feces and urine during encounters with other breeding male in the water. There is no tail flinging involved but the excrement is directed toward the competition.
The tail fling on land is often observed at midden sites where multiple animals leave their waste. This is especially true of dominant breeding males.