Pygmy Hippos: Just As Cute, Just Not As Big

The smaller cousin of the hippopotamus, the pygmy hippo is still a large mammal in its own right. A primarily herbivorous creauture, the pygmy hippo is also nocturnal and reclussive. Due to the later, it has been hard for scientists to study pygmy hippos in the wild, but they suspect that due to deforestation, there are less than 3,000 specimens remaining. Pygmy hippos have a very long gestation period, lasting between 190 and 210 days. Unlike common hippos, pygymy hippos can born in both water and on land. A baby pygmy hippo can swim immediately afte birth and is commonly 9.9 to 13.7 pounds (4.5 to 6.2 kilograms), though they grow to between 400 and 600 pounds (180 and 275 kilograms). Pygmy hippos are fully weaned by the time they are 8 monthes old, and often go on to live somewhat solitary lifestyles, often living alone or in small groups of only a few specimens.