How the pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng differs from ordinary hippos

Although these animals have a similar shape and color, you will quickly realize how different they are when you place these hippopotamus species side by side.

“Size is the main difference,” says Karen Vacco, assistant curator of mammals at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, which also has a pygmy hippopotamus. “The pygmy hippopotamus is 10 times smaller than a regular hippopotamus.”

As adults, pygmy hippos can weigh up to 270 kilograms. That sounds like a lot until you learn that their relatives, the hippos, can sometimes weigh up to 4.5 tons or 4,600 kilograms.

Scientists have studied exactly what distinguishes these two species – and even made some fascinating evolutionary discoveries.

Similarities and differences

The size of hippos and pygmy hippos is quite impressive considering that both species are largely herbivores. In the wild, pygmy hippos feed primarily on grasses and aquatic plants, Vacco says. However, Moo Deng and other pygmy hippos living in zoos eat mostly greens, vegetables and so-called “herbivore biscuits” that provide additional nutrients.