I thought it was a pterodactyl, beak facing left off of the image, neck going down to the left, two whitish wings…
I find them handy for quickly identifying those members who are not on my ignore list – which I hate to use – but posts are tedious and add nothing to the conversation.
There’s a few who I instantly recognize the poster behind the avatar. @codinghorror, @RivkahChaya @Dung_Beetle and @panache45
Others can look like ink blobs and dildoes until I zoom in 
I change mine up now and then. Doesn’t everybody?
@iiandyiiii , you know you’re one of my favorite posters, but I’m afraid @wolfpup has a point. On a phone, the hippo looks kinda like a grey penis.
Maybe the hippo can be improved (by a generous Doper good with images, perhaps), but the hippo is here to stay. Dopers must learn to accept the hippo.
Well, I found the original image here:
I played around with cropping it to the face while bringing up the contrast a tad:
Whuddya think?
Now it looks a little scrotum-like. I guess that’s an improvement?
I’ve knocked out the background locally. Can’t seem to figure out how to make a PNG with alpha.
Thanks! Does this look better?
Your call! I like it
I think? this one has an alpha channel. Inexpert masking, sorry; I’m no artist
I’d almost want to play with the color balance. Hippo is a bit purply.
By gosh, his eyes are narrowed!
Looks good! Thank you!
The thing is that actual photos tend to lose their effect in tiny avatars, and it’s difficult to distinguish hippos from other animals in that restricted context. Maybe you could focus on cartoon hippos! 
The hippo is disgusted.
Don’t listen to wolfpup, I like the new judgy hippo.
Me, too. Can’t tell if the hippo’s eyes are narrowed, but it’s unquestionably raising an eyebrow.
Now that’s a hippo! One to be respected from a distance. Lest you become hippo toe-jam.
All hail the new hippo!
Ref @squeeegee’s fine work upthread
After a very detailed examination of the face from about ear level to about halfway down to the nostrils I noticed that it looks remarkably like this guy in his most petulant poses. Same vacant eyes, same utter disregard for humanity, same lack of brain cells.
[u]**https://www.google.com/search?q=donald+trump&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp**[/u]
@LSLGuy every time I see your avatar it makes me think of the “UL listed/certified” symbol.
I hadn’t noticed that resemblance before, but now that you mention it …
Interestingly @Ludovic is the only poster in the thread running the completely default avatar. I’m an honorable mention in that department, since mine is a very minimal tweak of my assigned default.
Everybody else in this mutual back-rub has a fully custom avatar.
I wonder what’s the significance of this?