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Animal Size

Pygmy hippopotamus size: How big do they get?

How big does a Pygmy hippopotamus get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:

A grown Pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis) reaches an average size of 1.6 meter (5′ 3″).

When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 43.75 years, they grow from 5.73 kg (12.63 lbs) to 231 kg (509.27 lbs). Talking about reproduction, Pygmy hippopotamuss have 1 babies about 1 times per year. The Pygmy hippopotamus (genus: Hexaprotodon) is a member of the family Hippopotamidae.

As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.

The average adult size of a Pygmy hippopotamus is (5' 3

The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) is a small hippopotamid which is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast.The pygmy hippo is reclusive and nocturnal. It is one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being its much larger relative, the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) or Nile hippopotamus. The pygmy hippopotamus displays many terrestrial adaptations, but like the hippo, it is semiaquatic and relies on water to keep its skin moist and its body temperature cool. Behaviors such as mating and giving birth may occur in water or on land. The pygmy hippo is herbivorous, feeding on ferns, broad-leaved plants, grasses, and fruits it finds in the forests.A rare nocturnal forest creature, the pygmy hippopotamus is a difficult animal to study in the wild.Pygmy hippos were unknown outside West Africa until the 19th century. Introduced to zoos in the early 20th century, they breed well in captivity and the vast majority of research is derived from zoo specimens. The survival of the species in captivity is more assured than in the wild; the World Conservation Union estimates that fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remain in the wild.Pygmy hippos are primarily threatened by loss of habitat, as forests are logged and converted to farm land, and are also vulnerable to poaching, hunting for bushmeat, natural predators, and war. Pygmy hippos are among the species illegally hunted for food in Liberia.

Animals of the same family as a Pygmy hippopotamus

We found other animals of the Hippopotamidae family:

Animals with the same size as a Pygmy hippopotamus

Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Pygmy hippopotamus:

Animals with the same litter size as a Pygmy hippopotamus

Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (1) as a Pygmy hippopotamus:

Animals with the same life expectancy as a Pygmy hippopotamus

Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Pygmy hippopotamus:

Animals with the same weight as a Pygmy hippopotamus

As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Hexaprotodon liberiensis: