The Mysterious Color of Hippo Sweat

Contrary to popular belief, the sweat of a hippopotamus is not actually sweat, and it's not truly red or pink either.

Known as 'blood sweat,' it's a substance that's closer in composition to sunscreen.

When a hippo secretes this substance, it initially appears colorless before gradually turning reddish-brown in the sun.

It's this red color that has, understandably, led to the misnomer 'blood sweat.'.

But why the color change? The components in the 'blood sweat' – hipposudoric acid, which is red, and norhipposudoric acid, which is colorless, – absorb light in the ultraviolet area of the spectrum, acting as a natural sunscreen.

They also have antibacterial properties, thus keeping the hippo skin free of infections.

Researchers further discovered that hipposudoric acid inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria, hinting at the potential for new antibiotic drugs.

These fascinating creatures continue to astound us with their unique and often misunderstood characteristics..