The pygmy hippopotamus is just one fifth the weight of its huge cousin, the hippopotamus. The pygmy hippo is reclusive and nocturnal. Whales are thought to be the closest cousins of hippos. Calves are born after a gestation period of 190 to 210 days either in water or on land. Pygmy hippos are very small hippopotamuses. … Beh… Pygmy hippos have a rounder, shorter snout, with smaller, less protruding nostrils. They stand 2 and a half feet tall and measure 5 feet from head to tail.

The pygmy hippopotamus displays many terrestrial adaptations, however, like its larger cousin, it is semi-aquatic and relies on to water to keep its skin moisturized and its body temperature cool.

Adult hippos have a shoulder height of 75–100 cm with a body length reaching at 150–175 cm. Pygmy hippos weigh about 397 – 606 pounds. It is more difficult to see in the wild because it lives in thick forests and swamps of West Africa. Although they are distant cousins, there are many differences between the pygmy hippo and the common hippo, so biologists gave both species very different names: Choeropsis liberiensis for pygmy hippos and Hippopotamus amphibius for common hippos. Although Pygmy hippos resemble their larger relatives, the Common Hippo, closer observation can define several differences.

Where Do Pygmy Hippos Live? Their feet are less webbed than their cousins’, because they spend more time on land than in water. Pygmy hippos are relatively smaller and weigh between 350 – 550 pounds. at birth and are able to swim almost immediately. Pygmy Hippopotamus Facts: Family Life. It spends less time in water than the common hippopotamus, but will go underwater if it senses danger. Pygmy Hippo Facts for Kids.

The calves weigh 4.5 to 6.2kg (9.9 to 13.6 lb.) The pygmy hippopotamus has no known mating season, and females give birth (usually to a single calf, but on rare occasions to two calves) at any time of the year.