| Animal | Pygmy hippopotamus |
| Scientific Name | Hexaprotodon liberiensis |
| Type | Mammals |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Lifespan | 55 years |
| Size | 1.4 – 1.6 m in length |
| Weight | 245 – 275 kilograms |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Conservation status | Least concern > Near threatened > Vulnerable > Endangered > Critically endangered > Extinct in the wild > Extinct |
Pygmy hippopotamuses are a dwarf version of the common hippo and can be found in West Africa’s swamps and forests. Unlike the common hippo, the pygmy hippo doesn’t spend most of the day in the water and are not territorial. Not much is known about this hippo species.
Predators & Diet
Just like the common hippo, pygmy hippos set out at sunset to scavenge the forest’s floors for food. Majority of the diet consists of plants, fruits, ferns, and shrubs. They spend six hours a day searching.
Leopards are the only main predator of pygmy hippos, but calves can be preyed on by crocodiles and pythons.
Breeding
Pygmy hippo breeding happens on either land or water. One calf is born after a one-hundred-eighty to two-hundred-ten day gestation period, almost two thirds of a year. The mother hides the calf for a couple of weeks to guard it against predators and sunlight.
Pygmy Hippo Vs Common Hippo
At first glance, a pygmy hippo just seems like a tinier version of the well-known river hippo, also known as a common hippo. But there are many differences. As mentioned earlier, pygmy hippos’ habitat is either a forest or swamp, while the common hippos is a body of water. Common hippos are also much more territorial.
There are many differences in appearance, too. Pygmy hippos have more rounded heads and bodies. Common hippos have ears that protrude. Pygmy hippos only have their front toes webbed. They both measure and weigh differently, the common hippo weighing and measuring more.
Flipped pygmy hippo image to compare. Image by Gil on Animalia.Science
Photo by Follow Alice on Pexels.com
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References:
- Pygmy Hippopotamus on Toronto Zoo – https://www.torontozoo.com/animals/Pygmy%20hippopotamus
- Pygmy hippopotamus on Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_hippopotamus
- Pygmy Hippopotamus on The Animal Files – https://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/hoofed_mammals/hippopotamus_pygmy.html
- Common Hippo Vs Pygmy Hippo on Hippopedia by dotScience – https://hippopedia.home.blog/2019/06/22/common-hippo-vs-pygmy-hippo/
- Pygmy Hippopotamus on Sand Diego Zoo – https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/pygmy-hippopotamus
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