Is it a bird, is it a plane or is it an animal ? None of these, it is the fear of long words. Now could they not have chosen a shorter name for such a phobia??
I Google searched to find something interesting about the Hippopotamus… and this jumped out at me as I started to search.
The hippo is the third largest type of land mammal… Okay the elephant is the largest, what then is the second largest ? That’s right.. it is the Rhinoceros…
Elephant 4 – 7 tons, Rhino 2.5 tons and then the hippo 1.5 tons. But when it comes to speed the rhino is the fastest of the three at 55 k/h, the elephant 40 k/h and the Hippo 30 k/h… now all three are faster than a human at between 10 and 25 k/h depending on the distance being run… and now you know why we developed the rifle…
But just looking at my title has given me a fear of pronouncing words… I wonder if there is title phobia for that as well ? I know if I tried to pronounce that word I’d probably suffer from Katagelophobia pretty quickly… and as I scan through one long list of phobias I discover another word meaning the fear of long words… Sesquipedalophobia… here’s the list if you want to try and answer my question (CLICK HERE) Good luck… in the mean time a few photos of Hippos..
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
The third largest WOW. I had no idea the elephant was the largest. You nailed these up close shots and info that went along with the photos.
Thank you… he is a big brute… and to think I’ve swum in rivers near them…
Ummmm are you serious, you’ve swum in rivers with them?
That I have.. not too close, but when its hot you take a chance…
I wouldn’t want to run into one of these unexpectedly – they’re all a lot faster than I am.
That makes two of us…
1. You’ve been reading my blog too long. Now you’re a better wordmorphologizer than I am.
2. These head shots were not nearly as pretty as the kitties in the other post. Impressive, but here were talking Ernest Borgnine versus Sophia Loren.
The little critters always pale in the company of the big cats…
“Little” critters? 😉
Yes the little critters and lions from the other two post.. so much smaller than these guys…
Okay, gotcha! 🙂
I believe I would be afraid of them too. Your photos on the other hand are great as always 🙂
Thanks Inga… definitely one to avoid…
Enormous, humungous but somewhat adorable animal. I just need to make sure it does not stepped on me. That’s a lot of weight to bear. Ha,ha, ha.
Thanks Mate… yes no little fellow this…
Although I love most wild life the hippo leaves me cold. Just the thought that he can, and has, bitten people in half – well I always keep a safe distance. I remember one year up at St Lucia going on the river in a rowing boat, nogal! The hippos surfaced not far from us and we fortunately were able to beat a hasty retreat!
That is always my fear… in a canoe that he can with one chomp break in half… and he pops up just in front of me… I will row with such might the canoe will look like a speed boat…
😀
You must have been a bit too close for comfort to get pictures as good as those.
Thanks Chris I wasn’t too close and I do have a good zoom…
Just gorgeous! 😀
Thanks Sonel…
la lunghezza del nome si sposa benissimo con la larghezza della testa!
molto apprezzata la vostra ironia nel delineare questi magnifici scatti
🙂
the length of the name marries well with the width of the head!
much appreciated your irony in outlining these magnificent shots
Thank you…
LOL!
Like that…
Some body needs their teeth whitened 😆
I do agree there… didn’t get close enough for a breath test but they could do with a tube or 100 of toothpaste as well as a broom maybe for those gnashers…
I had no idea that the mighty hippo had such a mighty name! I always learn something new when I visit your blog. Great shots, too!
No the name is a phobia, the old hippo has not been lumped with such a handle…
Great shots! Two things (1) I sure as hell wouldn’t want any of them, the elephant, the rhino or the hippo chasing me and (2) I’m really glad your blog name is not Hippopotomonstrosequippedaliophobia.
Been chased by an elephant, not too pleasant, been chased by a rhino, not to pleasant, have seen a couple of hippo charging back to the water… definitely don’t get in the way of that …
Well, that WAS a mouthful! I’ve always heard, too, how the hippo is so very dangerous. but loved the photos of him!
He is dangerous, but then so are certain snakes and lizards etc… one must just be careful in his presence and not piss him off… and heed the signs …
Gertting that close to a hippo does NOT seem like a good idea. They kill more people than any other large animal, and getting anywhere near a territory-protecting male or a young-protecting female is simply asking for trouble. The best protection against them is to be somewhere else! 🙂
They have been companions most of my life Col, and they do show a sign or two of aggravation before really getting upset… I camped in a caravan for 4 months on the Lundi River in Rhodesia and had them outside my tent every evening where they kept the grass well mown for me… there was never any sign of aggression then unless you got between him and the river… yes they are aggressive and have been known to kill many, yet are not one of the big 5, I wonder why, but like all animals one must learn to read the signs…
There’s a new one for me, Rob! I have always heard about a charging rhino, but does a hippo charge, too? I wouldn’t want to get too close, but there is something in that big old appearance that looks docile to me. I’m quite sure that in a natural habitat they wouldn’t look like an animal I’d be inclined to provoke! 🙂 Thanks for the laugh in your title! I thought at first you’d found a whole new animal to tease us with! 🙂
These big beasts if caught between his feeding spot and the water will charge down a straight line and mow down anything that gets in the way… he will chase you away from the river or dam if he’s so inclined, and he will attack a boat if he felt endangered… the surprising thing I find is his ability to move through water like a proverbial speed boat… that mass manages to get on top of the water and speeds along faster than one could dream of going…
Great lesson! I love the pictures. 😀
Thank you Patricia for the visit and comment…
Brilliant – and he is beautiful, thick or not – I know I’m weird but yey from NZ! 🙂
Thank you… looks cuddly enough… but just a bit bad tempered…
Ah…..the famous Hippodyle (or crocamus)…nope hippo then!!! I can remember canoeing down the Zambezi River and having to really be careful to avoid these guys. They’re darned quick and not as gentle and lumbering as they look. Paddle faster!!! 😉
You are so right about that… crossed the Lundi river once only to discover whilst wading I had company. a bull hippo .. glad he decided I was not a threat as I had nowhere to go…
Oops! I meant a “thin” hippo.
I thought so…
I think this guy should go on a diet. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a think hippo.
No such thing as a thin hippo… they are all so round they look as though they never suffer from a food shortage…
I think that hippo needs a dentistry! lol
The teeth are definitely not as white as normal, yet I wonder if it is not the supplementary feed they were getting for the winter… their normal food being green grass that when they’ve eaten in one spot it looks like someone went in with a lawn mower…
By the time you’ve said that you suffer from “Hippopotomonstrosequippedaliophobia” the hippo would already have trampled you ;-)!
How right you are… I think I’m beginning to have the phobia now…
This is such a great topic I read one of the replies where the 16yr old knew right what it was. Really?? love this love this. what a great idea and a neat thing to share. ;o)
Thanks Kymee… I’d never heard of it before.. so good for the kid… just goes to show how education is just so much better these days…
Fabulous!!!
Thanks..
Great to see the hippo out in its natural habitat. It’s hard to imagine he can run so fast, but I don’t plan to challenge him.
I’ve seen him run… but then I think he’s seen me climb a tree…
I’ve heard that a hippo has enough bone-crushing power in its jaw to break a human in half!
and more… saw one get upset with an observer that had left his bicycle lying on the ground while he teased them… the bull came out the water it looked like a speed boat… the bicycle was totally unrecognisable when he had finished .. it was bitten to pieces… been known to bite canoes in half and even to do major damage to bigger boats… hefty set of gnashers these things have…
Yikes!!
I started looking through the list and quickly realized that my life is full of phobias. 🙂 I am always amazed that such large animals as these can run as fast as they can.
I’ve seen them in full flight and I’m sure it was faster than what they say…
I was certain you had created this word yourself until I read further. And leave it to a “smart-ass” son to know all about it! I do believe that rhino needs a good toothbrushing. 😉
Thanks LuAnn yep it would be a youngster that would know how to say it and what it meant…
Just finished reading about some smart alec that sold an app program to apple for $30 000 000 now that’s what you call a smart-ass with a mouthful of teeth… wonder if someone like that would be interested in my software…..
Always worth a try. 🙂
Rhinoplastyrosserbosserpossercosherlosserphobia. I wonder who thinks these up.
M in Stammer
T in Stutter
S in Lisp
People to help with spelling – Dyslexia Association.
These are great photos, and thanks for the info.
Thanks for the comment Al… It is something to think about… not that I would want their job…
I don’t I bet they have a laugh when they make them up. A fear of tree names is probably Oakfirpinewillowphobia
I like that one… maybe you missed your vocation in life…
Haha maybe.
Hi there. So busy packing I have little time to blog. Supercalifragilistic…………………………………………….
That’s good news, a move coming closer…
I see this every day in the mirror!
and you say that as though you think we’re gonna believe it…
LOL!!
I can’t pronounce 🙂 I can’t! This is amazing post, I am learning too, your photographs are so nice dear Rob, Thank you, love, nia (by the way, yes I can’t pronounce this word BUT I can’t write too without looking 🙂 )
Don’t worry Nia you’re not alone… it is one hell of a word to pronounce…
Bulldog, did you have to make those photos such close ups? I used to think the hippo was a cute cuddly kind of animal until you showed me how they really look. They’re pretty scary. Another fantasy dashed!
No Ronnie don’t say that .. they look just like big bulldogs and I look like a bulldog… they’re cute…
Well, maybe YOU’RE cute but….
It is awesome to see these animals free and wild, dangerous creatures I am told.
Very dangerous… one to definitely avoid you never can see what he is thinking or planning…
Thank you for my morning lesson Bulldog. You teach me something new every day, and now I will pass on the knowledge by quizzing everyone when I get to work today :).
Sheeez can you pronounce the word… I still got a cramp in my tongue from trying….
I can pronounce it if I say it really slowly, but I showed smart-ass 16 year old son, and he knew right away what it meant and could pronounce it no problem :).
smart-ass
Yup 🙂