A TINY RIVER HORSE
by J.E. Rogers
The word
hippopotamus comes to us from the Greek and means ‘river horse.’ There are two
species in the Hippopotamidae family, and the Pygmy Hippo is one of them. Although he is the smaller of the two
species, there’s nothing small about this mammal! He’s got a whole lot of cuteness!
This week we’ll take a look at the Pygmy Hippo.
Photo credit: Michael Leach &
Meriel Lland (arkive.org)
There is
a huge difference in size between the Pygmy Hippo and the common or River Hippopotamus.
Pygmy Hippos grow to a weight of about 350 to 600 pounds. The common Hippopotamus
can reach weights of 2200 to 9900 pounds. Although these two cousins look
alike, that’s where the similarity between the two species ends.
The
Pygmy Hippo lives mainly in western Africa, specifically in Liberia, but can
also be found in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. There are little to
no conservations efforts in any of those countries. However, captive breeding
programs have been successful. Below are two maps which show the range of the
two mammals. It’s easy to see that our big guy, the common hippo, has a much
greater range, whereas this week’s guest, the Pygmy Hippo, is confined to a
small area. The Pygmy Hippo is, as you might have guessed, endangered. This
rare mammal is threatened as a result of human hunting and habitat destruction.
The only other threat is the leopard.
There
are other differences as well. The Pygmy Hippo has a slender body, longer legs,
and a narrower mouth. This slimmer body allows them to run through the forest
quickly when necessary. The Pygmy Hippo is more of a land dweller than its
cousin. They simply don’t spend as much time in the water as does the common
hippo. As a result, the common hippo’s feet are more webbed than the Pygmy
Hippo’s. Also, the common hippo’s eyes are on the top of their head, whereas
the Pygmy Hippo’s eyes are lower.
Pygmy Hippo (Photo credit: San Diego Zoo)
Common Hippo (Photo credit:
Animalfactguide.com)
Pygmy
Hippos give birth on land or in water. At birth, the Pygmy Hippo only weighs
between 7 and 14 pounds. The common hippo baby is born underwater and can weigh
55 to 110 pounds at birth.
Speaking
of babies, here are two super videos of a baby Pygmy Hippo which was born at
the Wipesnade Zoo in England.
The
Pygmy Hippo is a solitary animal, living either singly or in pairs. They prefer
to live in swamps or near rivers. It is believed that they can live in the wild
for 30 to 50 years.
If you
would like to learn more about the Pygmy Hippopotamus, visit any or all of the
following sites:
Thanks
for stopping by. Please share with your family and friends.
Enjoy!
Jeanne E.
Rogers, Award Winning Author
The Sword of
Demelza, The Gift of Sunderland
and
One Hot Mess, A
Child’s Environmental Fable
Where Endangered
Animal Heroes Roam the Pages!
ALL of my books are available on Amazon, and other online stores.
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