The pink hippo milk rumor has been spreading across the web for some time, but it really gained footing in 2013, when National Geographic posted about the hippo's rose-colored milk on both its Facebook and its Twitter pages. Is the rumor true? Let's examine the facts. The idea that hippos produce pink milk has spread widely online, sparking curiosity.
This article clarifies the facts about hippo milk and the origin of this persistent myth, which contradicts biological realities. The Actual Color of Hippo Milk Despite popular misconception, hippo milk is not pink. Similar to most other mammals, it is white or off-white.
This rich, creamy liquid is typical. The rumor of pink hippo milk likely came from an accidental splashing of white hippo milk onto the red secretions present on a baby hippo. The resulting color would have been pink.
Hippos secrete hippusudoric acid, which has a reddish pigmentation. When white (the color of milk) and red (the color of hippusudoric acid) combine, the resultant mixture is pink. But is hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) milk actually pink? It turns out that like other mammal milk, hippo milk is actually white or cream in color.
Hippo milk, bright pink due to unique chemicals, differs from strawberry milk in taste and caloric content. Hippos, the third largest land mammals, weigh between 3,000 and 9,920 pounds. They are fast, aggressive, and live in groups.
Their life expectancy is about 36 years, with notable longevity reaching 62 years. Do you wonder, what color is hippo milk? Hipposudoric and norhipposudoric acid make a secretion that mixes up with the white color milk and creates pink color. The subject of hippo milk - and whether or not it's pink.
One possibility is that the pink color of hippo milk serves as a sort of natural sunscreen for the skin of baby hippos. As young hippos are particularly susceptible to sunburn and harmful UV radiation, the pigments in the milk could help protect their delicate skin. There are tons of questions floating around the internet, like 'what color is hippo milk?', and 'why is hippo milk pink?'.
Even if hippos don't have this particularly cute characteristic, they have plenty more to make up for it.