Where does the pygmy hippopotamus live?
The pygmy hippopotamus lives in the forests and swamps of West Africa, mainly in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. It has been lost from Nigeria and possibly Guinea-Bissau. It is semi-aquatic: despite many terrestrial adaptations, it relies on water to keep its skin moist and stay cool. Mating and giving birth may occur in water or on land.
What does the pygmy hippopotamus eat?
It is a herbivore: it eats ferns, broad-leaved plants, grasses and fruits it finds in the forest. It is a reclusive, solitary, nocturnal animal, so it is hard to study in the wild. Like the common hippo, it produces a secretion that gives its body a pinkish tinge, sometimes called "blood sweat", although it is neither sweat nor blood.
Is the pygmy hippopotamus endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Endangered. It is one of only two living hippopotamus species. It stands about half as tall as the common hippo and weighs less than a quarter as much. In captivity it lives 30 to 55 years, but probably less in the wild.
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