Jamie Perry chose….

Hippo Skull (Hippopotamus amphibius)

I've always been interested in Natural History from a young child and so found this Hippo skull captivating. I first spotted it when going through some pictures of the different exhibits we house in our collections. The photographer had managed to light the skull in an eerie manner that made the most of its striking features. It is normally housed in What's In Store which happens to be one of my favourite permanent galleries and is often overlooked by the casual visitor due to its remote location. It's a real treasure trove of random items that I find fascinating to explore (visit it today just through the Godiva Gallery at the end of the corridor!)

Jamie Perry is Head of Marketing and Communications at the Herbert

What the curator says:

Hippo skull (Hippopotamus amphibius)

This hippo skull originally came from Africa, presumably collected by the donor as a souvenir or trophy. Hippopotamus means river horse in ancient Greek. Hippos spend much of their day socializing in the water in groups of up to 30. They come ashore at night to feed on grass, and eat over 100 pounds (45 kilograms) a day. Their skin secretes a red substance, which acts as natural sun-cream. Hippos can be aggressive when protecting territory, particularly the adult males. Hippopotamuses contribute to more human deaths in Africa than lions, crocodiles and venomous snakes combined. They use their enormous teeth as weapons to fight each other for dominance. Hippos' teeth are a source of very hard ivory. However it is considered inferior to elephant ivory due to its smaller size and yellow colour.