Pygmy Hippopotamus
Our animals:
Dona and Pippo
Family:
Hippopotamidae
Order:
Artiodactyla
Class:
mammals
Length:
75-100 cm
Weight:
160-270 kg
Nutrition: herbivore: it eats aquatic plants, grass and leaf
Reproduction: after a 184-204 day-long gestation 1 progeny is born
Did you know? There are only two species of hippopotamus on Earth: the Hippopotamus amphibius and the Hexaprotodon liberiensis. Both of them originate from Africa. The biggest population of Hexaprotodon liberiensis lives in Liberia, hence the name. This type of hippo is less wter-bound than its giant relative, the Hippopotamus amphibius, so in case of danger, it does not escape to the water but rather to the bushes, and spends just as much time on the land as in the water.
Watch it! Its bare, hairless skin is dark brown, it seems almost black with a little greenish tone. Its stomach is much lighter. Its high heaped back and wide head are very characteristic. It has very small ears.
Habitat: Lowlander forests and marshes
Spread: It lives in West Africa, in the district of Congo River
