Pygmy Hippopotamus Facts: The Shy Hippo a Tenth the Size
The hippo most people picture weighs as much as a car. The pygmy hippopotamus weighs about as much as a large pig — and while its giant cousin bellows in rivers all day, this shy forest hippo spends its days hiding, and its nights wandering alone. Here is the smaller, stranger hippo.
Watch Pygmy Hippopotamus at Snack Time Zoo:
A Tenth the Size, Twice as Shy
An adult pygmy hippo weighs 180 to 275 kilograms — about a tenth of a common hippo. Where river hippos live in loud pods of dozens, pygmy hippos are mostly solitary, slipping through the forests and swamps of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, usually alone or in pairs.
The Pink Sweat That Isn't Sweat
Pygmy hippos secrete a pinkish, oily fluid through their skin that led to the myth that hippos sweat blood. It is neither sweat nor blood — it works as a natural sunscreen and disinfectant, keeping their sensitive skin safe in the sun and water. It is one reason a hippo calf's skin can look almost rosy.
A Forest Animal That Swims
Unlike its river cousin, the pygmy hippo spends much of its day on land resting in wallows and dense forest, then grazes at night on ferns, leaves and fallen fruit. It is still an excellent swimmer, and calves are born either on land or in shallow water and can walk almost immediately.
Rare and Getting Rarer
Fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos are estimated to remain in the wild, and the species is endangered as West African forests are cleared. Almost everything science knows about them comes from zoos, because in the wild they are so secretive that researchers mostly find their footprints and droppings.
Quick Summary
The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is a small, solitary forest hippo from West Africa — a tenth the size of the common hippo, protected by pink skin secretions, and increasingly rare in the wild.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is a pygmy hippo?
Adults weigh about 180 to 275 kilograms and stand roughly 80 centimetres at the shoulder — about a tenth the weight of a common hippopotamus.
Do hippos really sweat blood?
No. Hippos secrete a pink, oily fluid that acts as sunscreen and antiseptic. It can look reddish on the skin, which is how the blood-sweat myth started.
Where do pygmy hippos live?
In the forests and swamps of West Africa, mainly Liberia, with smaller numbers in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire. They are mostly nocturnal and solitary.
What do pygmy hippos eat?
Leaves, ferns, grasses and fallen fruit, browsed mostly at night. Fruit like watermelon is a treat — as our calf's very un-shy performance shows.