Aperture for large animals

Hi all. My primary interest is [African] wildlife photography. Was wondering what aperture is best for large mammals, ie. hippo and elephant, when you want to get the whole of the animal in focus. Or even with hippos, for example, who have such large, long heads, that the depth of field required to get the while head in focus on a close up I find you need a really small aperture.

What are your experiences?

I've never been to Africa.

But the answer to your question is: depends :)

Depends on your focal length
Depends on your distance to the subject
Depends on the aperture (that one is a given)
Depends on the size of the subject
Depends on the "look" you want to your background

No one will be able to "give you a number" that will work in all situations. I'm always looking at the background so to me how a particular aperture renders the background is paramount.

You might be surprised how even a 1-stop difference in the aperture creates a dramatic difference in the background. And that look (or Bokeh) is different with different lenses. You must find these characteristics before you go.

Hmmm, thanks Loupey. Short answer = practice, practice, practice. :)