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APPEARANCE
Choeropsis liberiensis
Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Artiodactyla, Family: Hippopotamidae, Status: Vulnerable
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APPEARANCE
The pygmy hippopotamus is very similar in appearance to the common hippopotamus although it is about a tenth of the size. The average height of the pygmy hippo is about two feet eight inches at the shoulder and the average weight is between 355-600 pounds. The head is smaller and rounder than that of the common hippopotamus, the eyes are set on the side of the head instead of on the top, and the toes of the pygmy hippo are not as webbed as those of the common hippopotamus. The pygmy hippo is black with a hint on green on it's back and a gray or yellow- gray color on the stomach.
The pygmy hippopotamus lives singly or in pairs in the swamps, wetlands, and lowland forests of Liberia, Sierra Leone, parts of Southern Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, and Guinea. Contrary to the common hippopotamus, pygmy hippos dislike the sun and are less aquatic. Therefore, pygmy hippos are almost never found on sandbars and instead tend to be found in heavily forested areas. The diet of a pygmy hippo consists of leaves, shoots, grasses, roots, and fruits.
REPRODUCTION
The act of mating generally takes place in the water and the male pygmy hippo may give birth at any time during the year to one hippo with the gest period being around 188 days.
•In 1979-80 in Sierra Leone there were said to be less than 100 pygmy hippos left.
•In 1983 in Liberia there were said to be several thousand pygmy hippopotamus, but now the numbers have significantly declined.
•The pygmy hippopotamus is threatened primarily because of deforestation and hunting. There are no real conservation efforts being made, but according to the Encyclopedia of Endangered Species, the protected areas such as Sapo National Park in Liberia could use help. Currently, the captive population of pygmy hippos is about 350 in more than 100 places around the world.
