Pygmy Hippopotamus Female Skull

Description

Pygmy Hippopotamus Female Skull measures 13.6 inches. Pygmy Hippopotamus Female Skull is Museum quality Polyurethane cast made in the USA. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull.

The pygmy hippopotamus 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 hippopotamus or Hexaprotodon liberiensis 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.

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. The pygmy hippopotamus or Hexaprotodon liberiensis is herbivorous, feeding on ferns, broad-leaved plants, grasses, and fruits it finds in the forests.

The pygmy hippopotamus or Hexaprotodon liberiensis share the same general form as a hippopotamus. They have a graviportal skeleton, with four stubby legs and four toes on each foot, supporting a portly frame.

The pygmy hippo, however, is only half as tall as the hippopotamus and weighs less than 1/4 as much as its larger cousin. Adult pygmy hippos stand about 2.46–3.28 ft. high at the shoulder, are 4.92–5.74 ft. in length and weigh 397–606 lb. Their lifespan in captivity ranges from 30 to 55 years.

The pygmy hippopotamus or Hexaprotodon liberiensis skin is greenish-black or brown, shading to a creamy gray on the lower body. Their skin is very similar to the common hippo’s, with a thin epidermis over a dermis that is several centimeters thick.

Pygmy hippos have the same unusual secretion as common hippos, that gives a pinkish tinge to their bodies, and is sometimes described as “blood sweat” though the secretion is neither sweat nor blood. This substance, hipposudoric acid, is believed to have antiseptic and sun-screening properties.

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