Mvuu ndi imodzi mwa zozizwitsa komanso zokondedwa kwambiri mwa zinyama zonse za ku Africa, komabe zingakhalenso chimodzi mwa zosadziwika kwambiri. Mitundu yomwe imapezeka kawirikawiri ku Africa safaris ndiyo mvuu ( Hippopotamus amphibius ), imodzi mwa mitundu iwiri yokhayo imene imapezeka m'banja la Hippopotamidae. Mitundu ina ya mvuu ndi mvuu ya pygmy, mbadwa ya ku West African yomwe ili pangozi yowonjezera kuphatikizapo Liberia, Sierra Leone ndi Guinea.
Mvuu zambiri zimasiyanitsa mosavuta ndi zinyama zina , chifukwa cha mawonekedwe awo onse. Ndiwo mtundu wachitatu wamtundu waukulu wamtundu wa nthaka (pambuyo pa mitundu yonse ya njovu ndi mitundu yambiri ya mimbulu), ndi mvuu yaikulu yomwe imalemera pafupifupi makilogalamu 3,085 / 1,400 kilo. Amuna ndi aakulu kuposa akazi, ngakhale ali aang'ono ali ofanana ndi matupi amodzi, opanda tsitsi ndi milomo yaikulu yokhala ndi zida zochepa.
Ngakhale mvuu zilibe mgwirizano wolimba kwambiri, zimapezeka m'magulu a anthu 100. Amakhala ndi mtsinje wambiri, ndipo ngakhale kuti amapuma mpweya ngati nyama iliyonse, amathera nthawi yambiri m'madzi. Amakhala m'mitsinje, m'madzi ndi m'mapiri a mangrove, pogwiritsa ntchito madzi kuti akhale ozizira pansi pa dzuwa. Amacheza, amacheza, amabereka komanso amamenya nkhondo m'madzi, koma amachoka kumtsinje kukadya madzulo.
Dzina la mvuu limachokera ku Chigiriki chakale kuti "kavalo wamtsinje", ndipo mvuu mosakayikira zimasinthidwa kuti zikhale moyo m'madzi. Maso awo, makutu ndi mphuno zonse ziri pamutu mwa mitu yawo, zomwe zimawalola kuti zikhale zowonongeka popanda kuzungulira mpweya. Komabe, ngakhale kuti ali ndi miyendo yotchinga, mavuvu sangathe kuyandama ndipo samasambira bwino kwambiri.
Choncho, nthawi zambiri amatsekedwa kumadzi osaya, komwe angapume mpweya wawo kwa mphindi zisanu.
Mvuu imakhala ndi zinthu zina zochititsa chidwi zambiri, kuphatikizapo kuthekera kwawo kutsegula mtundu wofiira wa dzuwa wofiira kuchokera ku khungu lawo lakuda masentimita awiri. Zimakhala zobiriwira, zimadya masamba 150/68 kg udzu madzulo alionse. Ngakhale izi, mvuu zimakhala ndi mbiri yoopsya ya nkhanza ndipo zimakhala ndi malo ambiri, nthawi zambiri zimagwiritsa ntchito nkhanza pofuna kuteteza chigawo chawo cha mtsinje (pa nkhani ya mvuu zamphongo) kapena kuteteza ana awo (ngati avuu akazi).
Zingawoneke ngati zovuta kumtunda, koma mvuu imatha kufulumira kwambiri, nthawi zambiri kufika pa mph 19/30 kmp pamtunda wautali. Iwo amachititsa anthu ambirimbiri kufa, nthawi zambiri popanda kukhumudwa. Mimbulu idzaukira onse pamtunda ndi m'madzi, ndi ngozi zambiri zokhudzana ndi mvuu imene imakwera bwato kapena bwato. Momwemo, amadziwika kuti ndi amodzi mwa zinyama zowopsa kwambiri ku Africa .
Mukakwiya, mvuu imatsegulira nsagwada zawo pafupifupi 180 ° powopsyeza. Mitengo yawo yosakanikirana ndi mafinya amaleka kukula, ndipo imasungidwa nthawi zonse pamene ikuphatikizana palimodzi.
Mphuno yamphongo yamphongo ikhoza kukula mpaka masentimita makumi awiri / 50, ndipo amaigwiritsa ntchito kulimbana ndi dera ndi akazi. Zosadabwitsa, pamene ng'ona za Nile, mikango komanso nyenga zikhoza kuwomba mimbulu yaying'ono, akuluakulu a zamoyo alibe nyama zakutchire zakutchire.
Komabe, mofanana ndi nyama zambiri zomwe tsogolo lawo likuwopsyeza ndi munthu. Iwo adasankhidwa kuti ndi Osaopsa pa List of Reduction List mu 2006, atakhala ndi chiwerengero cha anthu ochepa mpaka 20% pazaka khumi. Amasaka (kapena amazunzidwa) m'madera angapo a Africa chifukwa cha nyama ndi zida zawo, zomwe zimagwiritsidwa ntchito m'malo mwa njovu zaminyanga. Kupha nyama kwa mvuu makamaka kumafala m'mayiko ozunguliridwa ndi nkhondo monga Democratic Republic of the Congo, kumene umphaŵi wapangitsa iwo kukhala chakudya chofunika kwambiri.
Mimbulu imayambanso kuopseza malonda awo pogwiritsa ntchito malonda, omwe amachititsa kuti athe kupeza madzi abwino ndi malo odyetserako ziweto.
Ngati amaloledwa kuti akhale ndi moyo wachilengedwe, mvuu zimakhala ndi moyo zaka pafupifupi 40 mpaka 50, ndi mbiri ya mvuu yaitali kwambiri yomwe imapita kwa Donna, wokhala ku Mesker Park Zoo & Garden Botanic, yemwe adamwalira ali wokalamba 62 mu 2012.