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17 Unknown Things You Should Know About Pygmy Hippopotamus

                    Kingdom : Animalia
                           Class : Mammalia
                        Family : Hippopotamidae
         Scientific Name : Choeropsis 
                                        liberiensis

                        Colour : Light Grey, 
                                        Dark Grey, Pink
                  Skin Type : Leather
                       Size(L) : 1.5m - 1.7m 
                                         (5ft - 5.5ft)
                       Weight : 160kg - 270kg
                                       (350lbs - 600lbs)

                 Top Speed : 30km/h (18.6mph)
                  Life Span : 30 - 40 years
Distinctive Features : Webbed toes and 
                                      barrel-shaped body
                  Fun Fact : Spends more time on 
                                       land than in water!
  1. Pygmy Hippopotamus is a smaller species of hippopotamus that is found in the West African swamps and forests.
  2. They are closely related to the common hippopotamus but are much smaller and lighter than them.
  3. They are semi-aquatic animals and are capable of adapting to dwelling on land because of their smaller head, mouth and body.
  4. They have fewer webbed toes foe easy movement on land and have their eyes on the sides of their head for better land vision.
  5. They are solitary, nocturnal animals that feed at night and rest during the days in burrows.
  6. The pygmy hippopotamus only takes shelter in water if threatened and does not spend most of its time in water.
  7. They are not territorial and are known to tolerate each other’s presence quite well.
  8. In the breeding season, they are known to get aggressive and fight amongst each other to gain mating rights.
  9. The female pygmy hippopotamus gives birth to a single calf after a 6-7-month gestation.
  10. The calves are born either in water or in dens with dense vegetation,
  11. The calves are weaned by 8 months and accompany their mother to forage for food.
  12. They are herbivores, feeding on grass, leaves, shrubs, ferns and fruits that have fallen down.
  13. They move through the dense vegetation through well-trodden tunnels that are always used between their resting and feeding grounds.
  14. The adult pygmy hippopotamus is preyed upon by occasional leopards.
  15. Although the calves have wild cats and large snakes for predators.
  16. Interestingly, they release a pink oily substance from their skin which acts as an antibacterial sunscreen for them.
  17. Human hunting and habitat loss have made them a critically endangered species.
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