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Pygmy Hippopotamus

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

               iPygmy Hippopotamus

                             Conservation status

   Endangered (EN)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Artiodactyla
   Family:  Hippopotamidae
   Genus:   Choeropsis
   Species: C. liberiensis

                                Binomial name

   Choeropsis liberiensis
   ( Morton, 1849)

                                 Subspecies

   C. l. heslopi
   C. l. liberiensis

   The Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is a large mammal
   native to the forests and swamps of western Africa (the species name,
   meaning "of Liberia", reflects this). It is one of only two extant
   species in the hippopotamus family. Unlike its larger relative, the
   Hippopotamus, relatively little is known about the Pygmy Hippo's diet
   or behaviour, although it is clear that the Pygmy Hippo is adapted to
   forest environments rather than the more open plains and grasslands
   that the Hippopotamus prefers. Some authors place the Pygmy Hippo in
   the genus Hexaprotodon, along with a number of fossil forms.

   Pygmy Hippos stand about 75 cm (30 inches) high at the shoulder and
   weigh 180 kilograms (400 pounds). They are more solitary than their
   larger relatives and considerably less aquatic. The skin is
   greenish-black, shading to a creamy gray on the lower body. The average
   lifespan is 35 years, and one in captivity reached the age of 42. The
   gestation period ranges from 190-210 days, and usually a single young
   is born. Pygmy Hippos live either alone or in small groups, typically a
   mated pair and one calf.
   Skull of a Pygmy Hippopotamus
   Enlarge
   Skull of a Pygmy Hippopotamus

   All species of hippo spend most of their time in the water, emerging
   mainly at night in order to feed on land. The Pygmy Hippo is half as
   tall as the Hippopotamus and weighs 1/10 as much as a small member of
   the larger hippo species. The fossil record suggests that the Pygmy
   Hippo is closer in form and possibly behaviour to the common ancestor.

   Pygmy hippos exist in two populations. One ranges in Guinea, Sierra
   Leone, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire. The other population, with a
   different shape to the skull, ranged until recently in the Niger Delta
   but may now be extinct.

   There are two subspecies of the pygmy hippopotamus. Choeropsis
   liberiensis heslopi is a critically endangered subspecies, and may
   possibly even be extinct. The other subspecies, Choeropsis liberiensis
   liberiensis, is a category 4 ( vulnerable)
   Pygmy Hippo at Bristol Zoo, England
   Enlarge
   Pygmy Hippo at Bristol Zoo, England

   .
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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