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A dark, shiny pygmy hippopotamus grazing on grass.
Photo: Bardrock, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pygmy Hippopotamus

Choeropsis liberiensis

A small, shy, endangered hippo that lives alone in the forests and swamps of West Africa, mostly in Liberia.

🦓 Hoofed Mammals
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About the Pygmy Hippopotamus

Pygmy hippos live in forests near rivers and swamps in West Africa, mostly in Liberia. They are much smaller than common hippos, standing only 30 to 39 inches tall. Pygmy hippos are usually alone and mostly active at night, when they eat leaves, roots, ferns and fruit. Their skin makes a pink liquid, sometimes called "blood sweat," that helps protect them from sunburn. A baby can drink its mother's milk on land or underwater.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Choeropsis liberiensis[1]
Size
30 to 39 inches (75 to 100 cm) tall. 4.9 to 5.7 feet (1.5 to 1.75 m) long.[1]
Weight
350 to 600 pounds (160 to 270 kg).[1]
Lifespan
Females live about 31 years on average. Unknown for males.[1]
Diet
Herbivore. Leaves, roots, ferns and fruits found near rivers and streams.[1]
Habitat
Forests, near rivers, streams and swamps.[1]
Where it lives
West Africa, mainly Liberia, with small numbers in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.[1]
Group life
Usually solitary and mainly active at night.[1]
Babies
Pregnancy lasts 6 to 7 months. A newborn weighs 7.5 to 14 pounds (3.4 to 6.4 kg).[1]
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2015). Possibly fewer than 2,500 remain.[1][2]

Fun facts

  • Pygmy hippos give off a pink liquid that looks like sweat and helps protect their skin from sunburn.[1]
  • A pygmy hippo calf can nurse from its mother on land or underwater.[1]
  • Pygmy hippos have less webbing between their toes than common hippos.[1]
  • During the heat of the day, pygmy hippos rest hidden in swamps, wallows or rivers.[1]

Vocabulary

nocturnal
Active at night and resting during the day.
solitary
Living alone rather than in a group.
incisor
A front tooth used for cutting or biting.
wallow
A muddy or wet spot where an animal rolls or rests to stay cool.
endangered
A conservation label meaning a species faces a very high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Pygmy Hippopotamus.” https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/pygmy-hippopotamus (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Choeropsis liberiensis (Pygmy Hippopotamus).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10032/18567171 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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