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Hippos can launch themselves airborne for split seconds at a time, surprising scientists (www.businessinsider.com)

submitted 4 months ago by ooli@lemmy.world to c/biology@mander.xyz

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[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Is this also called jumping?

Many mammals and other animals are capable of this.

Edit: in fact I’m having a difficult time thinking of animals that can’t do this. Maybe turtles and worms? Shellfish, cephalopods?

[–] pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Elephants, probably rhinos, tortoises

[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I kind of thought elephants might be able to do little jumps. Maybe not though.

[–] pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 4 months ago

Nope! They never needed to so they didn't evolve the ability. Also, they have so much mass that accelerating that mass quick enough to jump would probably injure them, the landing as well. Newton's a bitch