antiquus has been estimated to weigh 3,500–4,200 kilograms (7,700–9,300 lb), more than double the weight of the average specimen of H. amphibius. In comparison to modern Hippopotamus amphibius, the skull is more slender and elongate, but with a shorter neurocranium.

Some hippos grow even larger though—the biggest individual ever recorded was a captive individual kept in Germany that weighed almost 10,000 pounds.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the common hippo isn't endangered, but it is vulnerable to extinction. The IUCN estimates that between 115,000 and 130,000 common hippos remain in the wild.

At 3,200 kilograms, this species was more than twice the size of modern hippos (H. amphibius; 1,500 kilograms, 3,310 pounds). Ancient remains of this species have been found across Europe, from Britain to Greece, Germany, and France. Of course, back then, Britain was still connected by land to the rest of Europe.