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Pygmy hippopotamus
This solitary inhabitant of West African forests searches for food after dark.
A tartalom nyelve
The pygmy hippopotamus leads a hidden life among the vegetation of West Africa. Its habitat includes wet forests, swamps and the edges of pools and rivers. Outside the breeding season, it usually lives alone. It does not gather in the large groups associated with its larger relative.
During the day it often rests in damp soil. Its skin offers limited protection against water loss, making moisture directly important to its well-being. It generally sets out to feed at night. It follows trails through dense vegetation rather than pushing through a new route every time. This daily pattern explains why resting during daylight is natural for the species.
The pygmy hippo is a herbivore. It eats young shoots and twigs, roots, fallen fruit, grasses and herbs. Its thick, strong lips tear off pieces of food, doing work that might easily be attributed to its teeth alone. After a pregnancy of around six months, the female gives birth to one calf. She feeds it milk for a further six to eight months. The pygmy hippo's life brings together water, forest cover and night-time feeding, while its diet is much more varied than grass alone.
Gyerekeknek
Pygmy hippos live in the damp forests of West Africa. They favour places near water and swamps. They usually live alone. During the day they often rest somewhere damp because their skin loses water easily.
After dark they go looking for food, following paths worn through the plants. They eat shoots, roots, fruit, grasses and herbs. Strong lips help them pull off pieces of food. Their large mouths do not mean that they hunt other animals.
A mother gives birth to one calf after about six months of pregnancy. She then feeds it milk for several months. The forest offers shelter, while moisture helps stop the hippo's body drying out. A daytime nap fits its night-time way of life.
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