# Hippo vs. Rhino **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2000, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261 "2000-12-13T00:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/1 "2000-12-13T00:13:49Z")
Which one is the second largest land mammal? The Rhino or the Hippo? This may seem like a stupid question, but this has actually been debated by many people. Here’s a good website about it: [http://members.aol.com/hippopage/hrquest.htm](http://members.aol.com/hippopage/hrquest.htm) And also, who would win in a battle between the two? (Just to spice things up. :)) And BTW, I say Rhino is the 2nd largest land mammal. My opinion, of course. -Clueless ---
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/2 "2000-12-13T00:31:50Z")
_bump_ I want your opinions, everyone! 🙂 -Clueless ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/3 "2000-12-13T00:31:58Z")
Their weight ranges clearly overlap enough that you’re never going to settle the question, but I vote for the Rhino on the grounds that: 1. The rhino is generally bigger in physical dimensions. The hippo is just fat. 2. The Hippo hangs out in the water a lot. It’s cheating. And as for a fight between the two, I don’t know, but I don’t want to referee it. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/4 "2000-12-13T00:37:38Z")
A bump after fifteen lousy minutes??? **Very** poor form, **Clueless**. Do not do that again. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/5 "2000-12-13T00:40:32Z")
I like to win, so I’ll vote for the hippos. There aren’t going to be any more black rhinos RSN. check out [http://www.rhinos-irf.org/rhinos/black.html](http://www.rhinos-irf.org/rhinos/black.html) ---
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/6 "2000-12-13T00:43:56Z")
Oh sorry, manhattan. I didn’t know the SDMB had a rule like that. I’m not too informed about the new rules, as I visit maybe once or twice in two weeks. Again, sorry. -Clueless, as ever… ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/7 "2000-12-13T00:44:50Z")
The hippo averages heavier, so it’s the bigger. I really don’t give a shit who would win a fight. They don’t prey on each other, or compete for food or territory, so it’s a non-issue. Peace, mangeorge (Shades of bull vs bear. Argh) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/8 "2000-12-13T00:48:05Z")
But it’s the white rhino that’s in the running for largest land animal. ---
**Author:** ![DonJuanDeMarco3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DonJuanDeMarco3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonJuanDeMarco3)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/9 "2000-12-13T01:18:35Z")
I want to say the rhino is bigger but the hippo would win in a fight. They are the most active man killer in the animal kingdom. Hippo’s have 4 huge teeth while the rhino has one horn ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/10 "2000-12-13T01:50:58Z")
The answer of couse is neither. Unless I’m very mis-informed the African elephant is largest, the Indian elephant is the second largest. The hippo and rhino are duking it out for bronze here. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/11 "2000-12-13T02:18:37Z")
What about the giraffe? It towers over hippo and rhino. Sure, its skinny, but look at that beautiful beast. Hippo would win in a skirmish though. They are BADASS animals. ---
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/12 "2000-12-13T02:22:05Z")
We’re not being that specific. The Indian Elephant is a subspecies, we’re looking for the 2nd largest land mammal species. -Clueless ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/13 "2000-12-13T03:06:02Z")
Looks like the hippo would average out to be the largest, if you count sub-species. Here are the links, check and see what you think. [http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,41424+1+40547,00.html?query=hippopotamus](http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/4/0,5716,41424+1+40547,00.html?query=hippopotamus) [http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/9/0,5716,65049+1+63434,00.html?query=rhino](http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/9/0,5716,65049+1+63434,00.html?query=rhino) They each have a smaller cousin or two, but the pygmy hippos are rare. If you count only the largest of each, it looks like a toss-up. With a slight edge to the hippo. I couldn’t find anything about raging hippo vs rhino battles, try as I might. 😃 Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/14 "2000-12-13T03:43:46Z")
Try the link I posted, mangeorge. There’s a bunch of sources that says the Rhinoceros is the 2nd largest mammal. Also, I don’t think the average size thing works. 🙂 Look at it this way, if you used that logic, then the Elephant would be smaller than either Hippo or the Rhino. The Elephant’s nearest relative is the Hyrax which is about the size of a house cat. 😛 -Clueless ---
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/15 "2000-12-13T03:46:33Z")
Disregard my last post. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/16 "2000-12-13T03:48:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Clueless \* > \*\*We’re not being that specific. The Indian Elephant is a subspecies, \*\* Just for the record the Indian elephant is actually a different Genus, making it about as related to the African elephant as a human is to an orangutan. ---
**Author:** ![Clueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/17 "2000-12-13T03:50:51Z")
I never knew that. I’ll have to go look up on that one. -Clueless ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/18 "2000-12-13T03:52:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Clueless \* > \*\*Disregard my last post. \*\* Not a chance, Clueless. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hippo-vs-rhino/45261/19 "2000-12-13T04:01:13Z")
By the way, the Indian elephant isn’t just a subspecies, either: it’s not even the same genus. African elephant is _Loxodontus africanus_, and Indian is _Elephantus asiatus_ (I think. It’s been a long time since that fourth-grade class presentation on elephants). They’re both family _Proboscidiae_, though. By the way, King Tusk, RBB&B’s “Largest Living Animal on the Face of the Earth” a few years back, was actually a freakishly huge Indian, not an African. Jumbo, from way back in the day, was African. I’m not sure which was larger.