It's surprising to hear that the way hippos move on land was only recently documented until you take into consideration that they spend most of their time in the water not to mention they are dangerous to observe too closely. What the researchers found was the hippos main gait is a trot which is unusual for any land animal but especially one the size of a hippo and that trot has them airborne once they are up to their top speed. This information will help vets diagnose and monitor the animals when they are in distress plus it will be an aid in their evolutionary story, though they will maybe be even more dangerous with their hippo trot.
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