Zoology: Bones

Pygmy hippos closely resemble their larger relatives the Nile hippo, standing 30 to 35 inches high at the shoulder, weighing 350 to 550 pounds and measuring about 5.5 feet from snout to vent. Their shape is more pig-like than the Nile hippo with heads proportionately smaller and legs proportionately longer than the Nile. They have curved, sharp, tusk-like canines and only one pair of straight lower incisors used for protection and defense. Their eyes are placed on the sides of their head and the nostrils are placed low on their face. They have small, round, highly mobile ears. They can stay submerged for up to six minutes and although they are more terrestrial than Nile hippos, they are good swimmers.

Pygmy hippos are generally solitary animals and associate only for breeding. They are adapted to the forests and swamps of Western Africa, spending most of their days in shallow waters of the small forest streams and ponds. They emerge for feeding on a variety of vegetation in the late afternoon and are active until well past midnight. The hippos mark their well-defined paths with muck and dung, which they spread by flinging while defecating-a charming habit also favored by their larger Nile cousins. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).
13 ½" L x 9" W x 9" H 34L x 23.1W x 22.8H (cm)

Conservation Status: Endangered