Males reach sexual maturity between the ages of 7 and 9, while females attain reproductive maturity between the ages of 8 and 10. After a gestation period that lasts for around eight months, the female Hippopotamus gives birth to a single calf generally during the rainy season. Explore More Quizzes. The cub rides on it mother’s backs for safety and its mother strongly protects it. The gestation period takes 8 months. Hippo Reproduction. Hippos tend to live in groups, which can be as large as 100. How long is the hippo gestation period? One calf is born underwater. The female hippo reaches sexual maturity between five and six years of age. Right after its birth, the baby can walk, run or swim. Pregnant hippopotamus facts. However, the hippo calf is about 10 times larger than a … As can be seen in the chart, apes (including humans), monkeys, big cats, and rodents can be clearly grouped according to their gestation period. The gestation period of the female hippopotamus lasts for 8 months and a single calf is born during the rainy season. Some clock in at just a few weeks, making any human green with envy, while others can last more than a year. Although like many other activities (including mating) the Hippopotamus often gives birth in the water, it is not actually that uncommon for their young to be born on land. A male hippo is called a Bull, while the Female is a caw and the younglings are calves. Mating takes place in the water with the female under water during most of it. eight months. Hippo calves will live beside their mothers until the age of 7 or 8. Animals related to each other usually have similar gestation periods. pigs. The gestation periods of the animal kingdom are varied and fascinating. The platypus and 4 species of echidnas do not give birth to live young, despite being a mammal. Advertisement. A study of endocrine systems suggests that female hippies can begin puberty at the age of three or four. They have a gestation period of eight months. Calves are often left in creches guarded by one to several cows. However, a pod tends to have about 30 hippos. The young are born after a gestation period of eight months and maturity is only achieved at about 3 and a half years. Female hippos reach sexual maturity at five to six years of age and have a gestation period of eight months. Can You Identify These Highly Intelligent Animals? Fun hippo facts 10 months. Gestation Period in Days : 15-20. TRIVIA. whales Advertisement. The female gestation period lasts eight months and produces just one offspring (this is rather fortunate, given they can weigh 110 pounds on birth). Males mature at about 7.5 years of age. They have a gestation period of 240 days, and babies are usually born underwater. Fortunately, hippos make much more pleasant parents than dates, or at least the females do. 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