
The pygmy hippopotamus is the smallest member of the hippo family, weighing only 350 to 550 lbs compared to the 8,000 lb river hippo. Due to habitat destruction, the pygmy hippo is found only in a small area in western Africa. They are nocturnal and solitary, so it is difficult to observe them in the wild. Like all hippos, pygmy hippos are herbivores and graze on grasses, succulent plants, fallen fruit, and other low-lying vegetation. Most pygmy hippos in American zoos today are descended from one that was given to President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.
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