baby hippopotamus - pygmy hippopotamus

BABY HIPPOPOTAMUS
& PYGMY REPRODUCTION

Baby Hippopotamus: The young are born on land or in shallow water, and nurse 2-3 times in a 24 hour period. Tthe young lie concealed for more than three weeks after birth.

Pygmy Hippopotamus Baby and Reproduction

Growing up: In the wild, females usually breed once every two years. A single baby hippopotamus is born, after a gestation period of about 6 months. The baby hippopotamus weighs 14 pounds (4.5 to 6.4 kg).

The baby hippo is unable to walk very far at first, and its mother conceals it in thick cover, visiting it to feed it. Weaning the baby hippopotamus after 6-8 months. At three months it is able to feed on vegetation. At two years of age the mother encourages the young to move on. She is likely to have another calf at that time.
It will be able to breed for themselves by the age of 4 or 5. In captivity, their lifespan is about 30+ years.

Reproduction: When pygmy hippopotamuses are found together it is usually a male and female consorting before mating. This courtship is not seen in Nile hippopotamuses. They will mate in and out of the water. The Pygmy hippopotamus reaches reproductive maturity at about three years. Gestation is six to seven months, after which a single calf is born on land.