Pedigree and history of the discovery of the pygmy hippopotamus, features of behavior in open nature, characteristics of appearance, advice on care, acquisition. With each movement of the planet Earth around its axis, not only the seasons and calendar dates change, but also its inhabitants themselves. Humanity is becoming more progressive and more original every year and even during the day. In the era of modernity, not only high technologies and many areas of activity have reached a new level, but also the characters, morals and preferences of people, both in everyday needs and in many other things, even when it comes to choosing a pet.
More recently, under the phrase "pet" people meant everyone's favorite cats or dogs, in extreme cases, hamsters or guinea pigs. But the world does not stand still, and a modern inhabitant of our planet is carefully considering the decision to acquire a new inhabitant of his home and is increasingly leaning towards very extraordinary and unique animals. For example, the pygmy hippopotamus. By bringing such an animal into the house, you will undoubtedly fill your everyday life with new colors, feelings and emotions. In addition, such a very original friend will always arouse interest and curiosity from your guests. But for the idea of buying a pygmy hippopotamus to be crowned with success, it is worth getting to know him better.
History of the mwe-mwe pedigree
The world learned about these extraordinary animals relatively recently, but their pedigree caused a number of doubts and discussions. According to some sources, in 1843, the American anthropologist Samuel George Morton arrived in Liberia, at the end of his expedition one of the aborigines made him a rather unusual present - a pair of hippos, but the scientist was greatly surprised by the fact that the animals presented to him are noticeably different from theirs. relatives. The difference was in the size of the animal, which was ten times smaller than the size of an ordinary hippopotamus.
His bewilderment was the impetus for the study of these mysterious creatures. It was Morton who described them as a new species - Hippopotamus minor, belonging to the Hippopotamus family (Latin Hippopotamidae). Only after a decade, these unusual creatures aroused interest in Joseph Leidy, who was an anatomist at the University of Pennsylvania. It was he who described the pygmy hippopotamus under the name Choeropsis liberiensis, which is still used today.
But Europe got acquainted with mwe-mwe (as the locals call him) thanks to the scientist of German origin Hans Schomburg. In the summer of 1911, he arrived in Liberia to explore African territories. Then he was lucky to catch five pygmy hippos in a trap. At his own risk, he transported the animals to the zoo in the German city of Hamburg. There they took root very well and gave birth to offspring, after a while already numerous zoos of the world had these funny representatives of the fauna in their possession.
Features of the behavior of pygmy hippos in the wild
Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Congo are considered the natural habitats of these cubs. Their favorite places are reservoirs, characterized by a slow current and the presence of tropical thickets along the coast.
The lifestyle of this relatively small representative of the hippopotamus is slightly different from its large-sized counterparts. These pretty creatures lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle, occasionally they can exist in pairs, which cannot be said about their relatives, who tend to live in groups.
They spend most of their free time on land, but, nevertheless, they try not to move far from water bodies. Due to the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the skin, they need daily baths to avoid drying out the skin, which can lead to health problems. On a hot day, pygmy hippos prefer to spend a lot of time in the water or in a dug-out shelter on the river bank. From infancy, they develop swimming and diving skills, they can stay under water for more than three minutes, while holding their breath.
The period of activity and search for food in these animals falls at night, during the day they prefer to rest. The diet of these wonderful creatures consists of various plant foods. They get food both on land and in the reservoirs in which they swim. Searching for food in pygmy hippos is a rather peculiar process. The thing is that they choose certain roads for themselves, which are not going to give in to anyone. They mark their own territories with their waste products, with the help of their tail, with which they make circular movements during the act of defecation. Eating this creature takes about a quarter of the day, their favorite foods are various fruits, grass, and sometimes they eat algae.
Pygmy hippos are very peaceful and balanced in temperament. If they happen to meet competitors, which are often their relatives, these calm creatures prefer to avoid unnecessary conflicts, simply not paying attention to the uninvited guests who have come to them.
The territory that they occupy for their comfortable existence varies in area depending on gender characteristics. If the female needs a plot of 450-500 square meters for a comfortable life, then the male claims 4-5 times more living space.
Continuation of the genus of pygmy hippos
If we talk about the reproduction of these interesting representatives of the African animal world, then the features of this process in the wild have not been sufficiently studied. In zoos and reserves, scientists and observers have shed a little more light on this topic. In closed conditions, females and males form a rather stable, monogamous "cell of hippopotamus society." In captivity, pygmy hippos can breed throughout the year. Pregnancy lasts approximately 185-215 days and ends with the birth of only one baby. Childbirth can take place both on land and in water.
A newborn's weight ranges from 4 to 6 kg. The period of breastfeeding lasts about 6-8 months, the frequency of meals for the baby is at least three times a day. Until the female stops feeding her cub with milk, he is always in a shelter made of dense vegetation. Puberty in young hippos begins at the age of 2, 5–3 years, although it happens that maturation is delayed until the age of five.
Features of the appearance of the pygmy hippopotamus
Looking at this representative of mammals, we can firmly and confidently say that this is an ordinary hippopotamus, only ten times smaller in size. But it is not so. Indeed, there is a similarity between them, but there are also a number of features due to which this miracle of nature was attributed to a completely different species.
If you compare the pygmy hippopotamus and its larger brother, you can see differences in the proportionality of the body. Its limbs and neck are more elongated in relation to the body, while the head, on the contrary, looks smaller and neater. The back line of the mwe-mwe is slightly inclined forward. There are poorly defined membranes between the toes, but the toes themselves are much more apart than in a normal hippopotamus. Also, one cannot fail to mention the eyes and nostrils of this dwarf creature: due to the small size of the head, they are located closer to the skull, which does not stand out so much, which gives the hippo's muzzle a very cute and graceful look.
The dental formula of this creature is 2/1, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3. In the bag in his oral cavity, there are 34 teeth, they have two pairs of upper and one pair of lower incisors. Fangs tend to grow throughout their life span.
The skin of the pygmy hippopotamus is painted black, sometimes with a greenish tint or in a dark brown color, with an oily sheen. To the projection of the abdomen, the skin is lighter in color. Their body structure contains large glands that produce a brownish-red secretion, which increases markedly with intense physical activity such as running or mating.
When describing the exterior of an animal such as a mini-hippopotamus, an important role is played by the parameters of the body, which should be considered on the example of an adult. Its body length ranges from 145 to 180 cm, depending on gender, body weight is about 180-280 kg, this indicator is also influenced by gender, physical activity and diet, this attractive creature can grow from 75 to 105 cm (height is usually measured from floor to shoulder height).
Dangers to the animal in the wild
These cute creatures are a food source for many of their compatriot carnivores. But the greatest threat to them is leopards, crocodiles and hieroglyphic pythons.
Keeping mwe mve at home
This extraordinary friend of man is not a capricious animal at all, he does not impose any supernatural requirements on his person. But a number of some nuances still have a place to be.
- Terrain requirements. Having chosen a pygmy hippopotamus as a pet, you should take all measures so that the life of your new friend on the territory of your site does not turn into survival. To do this, you need to equip a small pool or an artificial reservoir for him, in which he will regularly take baths, to moisturize his sensitive skin. For almost the entire day, the animal will doze after plunging into the water.
- Accommodation for your pet. For this little animal, you should not spare the area of your site, so that he has the opportunity to walk around his house whenever he pleases. The best option would be a large equipped aviary, fenced with a dense hedge. Soft, dried hay is ideal for bedding.
- Aviary cleaning. Due to the fact that the pygmy hippopotamus tends to mark its territory - you will often have to clean up its personal area, this measure will save you and your friend from unpleasant discomfort.
- Suitable climatic conditions. For the reason that the homeland of this creature is hot sunny Africa - it is not easy to provide such a climate for your four-legged friend in our area. After all, it is necessary for him to maintain warmth and suitable air humidity all year round, therefore it is recommended to install a heating system or climatic devices on his living space even before purchasing this instance.
- Attitude towards other residents. If you have other pets, you can be absolutely calm - often mini-hippos do not pay any attention to them, but there are times when they even begin to make friends and play together, but this does not always happen.
- Features of behavior. This pretty representative of the world fauna has a very friendly, but not quite balanced character. Cases are described when, in a fit of aggression, these animals rushed at their owners, causing them bodily harm to one degree or another. They can also bite a person with their large and rather sharp fangs. Therefore, you need to be careful with them and, as far as possible, keep a certain distance. They do not lend themselves to training, although some individuals after a while begin to respond to the nickname. After some time, it is quite common for this extraordinary creature to get used to and even become attached to its breadwinner and educator. Therefore, soon he will begin to recognize you and show joy if you pay attention to him. With proper grooming and good relations with the pygmy hippopotamus, you will have a fun and playful companion who will look forward to meeting you.
- Feeding your baby. As for food, this cute eccentric is not at all fastidious. The only condition is that he strictly prefers a vegetarian diet. For the sake of experiment, you should not try to feed him a piece of meat - it will not end well. It will be quite enough for him to compose a menu of fresh fruits and vegetables, and your pet will also enjoy eating fresh grass or a branch from a tree with great pleasure. Since the calorie content of the favorite food of pygmy hippos is very low, it will eat most of its activity period. To quench his thirst, your four-legged friend most often uses water from the place where he performs daily ablutions, but if the water in his reservoir is not very clean, it is recommended to install a container with drinking water in the aviary. It would be nice to have meadows with grassy cover on the territory of your summer cottage, then your pet may well use them as a pasture, which will partially simplify your responsibilities for caring for him.
- Conservation status. This animal nowadays is under the “endangered” status. There are a number of reasons and factors due to which the population of pygmy hippos decreases significantly every day. These include massive deforestation and the use of their native land for housing or agricultural work. Also one of the most serious reasons are wars and civil conflicts on the African continent. Poachers and hunters play an important role, as well as hungry predators eager to feed themselves with hippopotamus meat. In the states that are revered as the homeland of these dwarf animals, a number of programs are being developed to preserve these wonderful animals.
Purchase and price of a pygmy hippo
Since the breeding of domestic hippos is a very new and not very common business, it seems very problematic to find and even more so to buy this specimen. The fact is that on the territory of Russia there is not a single nursery where the cubs of the Liberian hippopotamus are bred and sold. Therefore, if you are determined to get such an animal at any cost, then you need to look for places to sell them abroad.
In the event that you have found an animal that suits you, you should carefully check the availability of all the documents necessary for the legal and safe residence of this exotic in your home. When you buy an unregistered animal or when you try to transport a hippo across the border with your own hand or with the help of poachers, you expose yourself not only to problems with the law, but also risk getting a number of exotic and dangerous diseases from which your body has neither natural nor artificial immunity.
Due to the fact that the purchase of this funny representative of mammals is a difficult business, the prices for it are quite solid. On average, the price for one individual of the Liberian handsome starts from 65,000 thousand rubles, but this is not the limit.
For more information on the pygmy hippopotamus, see this video:
