identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
DB3DFC790D1DE67B203DFDAEF99533BE.text	DB3DFC790D1DE67B203DFDAEF99533BE.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Hippopotamidae Gray 1821	<div><p>Family HIPPOPOTAMIDAE</p> <p>(HIPPOPOTAMUSES)</p> <p>• [Large mammals with barrel-shaped body, short limbs, and predominantly hairless.</p> <p>• 170-550 cm.</p> <p>• Afrotropical Region.</p> <p>• Aquatic habitats and densely forested areas.</p> <p>• 2 genera, 2 species, b taxa.</p> <p>• 1 species Endangered, 1 species Vulnerable; none Extinct since 1600.</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/DB3DFC790D1DE67B203DFDAEF99533BE	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Don E. Wilson;Russell A. Mittermeier	Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (2011): Hippopotamidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 308-319, ISBN: 978-84-96553-77-4, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5719835
DB3DFC790D1CE67A218BF88AF9383A2F.text	DB3DFC790D1CE67A218BF88AF9383A2F.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus 1758	<div><p>1.</p> <p>Common Hippopotamus</p> <p>Hippopotamus amphibius</p> <p>French: Grand Hippopotame / German: Flusspferd / Spanish: Hipop 6tamo</p> <p>Taxonomy. Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758,</p> <p>type locality restricted to River Nile in Africa.</p> <p>Three subspecies recognized.</p> <p>Subspecies and Distribution.</p> <p>H.a.amphibiusLinnaeus,1758—sub-SaharanAfrica,exceptasbelow.</p> <p>H.a.capensisDesmoulins,1825—ZambiaStoSouthAfrica.</p> <p>H. a. kiboko Heller, 1914 — Kenya and Somalia.</p> <p>Descriptive notes. Head-body 290-505 cm, tail 40-56 cm, shoulder height 150-165 cm; weight 1000-4500 kg. Massive animal with distinctly barrel shaped-body, short limbs, and large head. Adult males may be slightly larger than females, although no obvious sexual dimorphism. Numerous morphological adaptations for the aquatic environment in which it spends most daylight hours, including muscular valves in nose that close in response to contact with water, and webbed feet. Skin is gray and appears greasy, and is known for its remarkable strength. Body virtually hairless except on snout and tail. Graviportal skeleton. Feet have four toes. Canines and incisors are quite large, primarily used in aggressive interactions. Incisors may also be used for digging. There are marked sex differences in canine and incisor growth and size. Dental formula: 12/2, C1/1,P 4/4, M 3/3; P also found as 3/3. Long-lived animals, c.35 years.</p> <p>Habitat. Found in sub-Saharan African countries in grassland and miombo woodlands, always associated with water sources, e.g. rivers, lakes, streams. They are absent from rain forest habitats, except for large rivers. They are restricted to the lower reaches of rivers and estuaries in West Africa and occasionally even extend into the sea. Elevations range from sea level to 2000 m. Bouyant but does not swim, rather walks or runs along bottom. At high population densities, hippos have been linked to widespread loss of vegetation in certain areas, which then leads to erosion. Culling occurred in the 1950s-1960s in some protected areas where hippo populations were deemed to exceed capacity. In lakes and rivers where they reside, hippo dung has been shown to alter the chemical composition of the water. Nutrients from hippo dung have been linked to productive fisheries and there are anectodal accounts of loss of fisheries when hippo populations are extirpated.</p> <p>Food and Feeding. Although predominantly grazers, Common Hippos have been observed to consume aquatic vegetation and carcass remains, likely in response to nutritional constraints. Frequently reported to raid crops, particularly rice. Uses thick lips to tear and remove forage. Nightly feeding amounts may range from 20-45 kg, although in times of poor forage quality, individuals may not forage nightly. Gut rentention times have been estimated to be far higher than most large herbivores to maximize digestive efficiency. Because of their ability to remove wide swaths of grass, they have been linked to loss of vegetative and soil cover in areas of high densities.</p> <p>Breeding. Conception and birth peaks have been found to correspond to peak rainfall months in several study sites. Common Hippos are believed to have a two-year cycle, with gestation lasting for eight months and lactation lasting for 10-12 months, although it can extend to 18 months. Low proportions of simultaneously pregnant and lactating females suggest that the likelihood of successful conception or pregnancy during lactation is low. Mating and birth occur in water.</p> <p>Activity patterns. Daytime hours spent primarily submerged in water, although in cool ambient temperatures hippos can be observed foraging during the day or basking on river banks. During daylight hours, social behavioris believed to occur within the herd, although underwater activity is impossible to observe in most water sources. At night, hippos typically leave the water to find forage.</p> <p>Movements, Home range and Social organization. Only indirect measurements have been made of the distance hippos travel from a water source. On average, they move 1-3 km, although larger distances have been suggested from some study sites. This may reflect seasonal and regional differences in movement. Animals occur in herds of various sizes, with herd size reflecting water availability. Herds are polygynous, with a dominant male, adult females, and juveniles, although relatedness within a herd has not been studied. All other males are found in separate bachelor herds. More detailed movement studies will require telemetry which has been impeded because of hippo’s sensitivity to chemical restraint and immobilization as well as lack of telemetry designs that accomodate their neck morphology.</p> <p>Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Primary threats include wetland habitat loss, water diversion, and direct harvest for meat and ivory. West African populations, far smaller than those found in East Africa, have the poorest conservation outlook. The Common Hippo was rare in North Africa by 1600, although it persisted along the Nile until around 1700. The last definite records from this area are from the early 19" century. Today, the largest populations are in East Africa with between 125,000 and 148,000 Common Hippos remaining. Common Hippos are found in 29 countries and confirmed population declines have been reported in half of those. The largest declines are in the DR Congo, a country once thought to have the largest populations.</p> <p>Bibliography. Arman &amp; Field (1973), Barklow (1997, 2004), Bere (1959), Boisserie (2005), Boisserie &amp; Lihoreau (2006), Boisserie, Lihoreau &amp; Brunet (2005), Boisserie, Zazzo et al. (2005), Dudley (1996), Eltringham (1974, 1993, 1999), Karstad &amp; Hudson (1984), Laws (1968), Laws &amp; Clough (1965), Lewison (2007), Lewison &amp; Carter (2004), Lewison &amp; Oliver (2008b), Luck &amp; Wright (1959), McCarthy et al. (1998), Nomura &amp; Yasue (1999), Okello et al. (2005), Olivier &amp; Laurie (1974), Owen-Smith (1989), Sayer &amp; Rakha (1974), Smuts &amp; Whyte (1981), Wright (1987).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/DB3DFC790D1CE67A218BF88AF9383A2F	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Don E. Wilson;Russell A. Mittermeier	Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (2011): Hippopotamidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 308-319, ISBN: 978-84-96553-77-4, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5719835
DB3DFC790D1FE6792124FE50F842314C.text	DB3DFC790D1FE6792124FE50F842314C.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Choeropsis liberiensis (Morton 1849)	<div><p>2.</p> <p>Pygmy Hippopotamus</p> <p>Choeropsis liberiensis</p> <p>French: Hippoptame nain, Hippopotame Pygmée / German: Zwergflusspferd / Spanish: Hipopdtamo pigmeo</p> <p>Other common names: Heslop's Pygmy Hippopotamus (heslopi), Niger Delta Pygmy Hippopotamus (heslopi)</p> <p>Taxonomy. Hippopotamus liberiensis Morton, 1849,</p> <p>Liberia.</p> <p>Although previously included in the genus Hexaprotodon, a recent review of the taxonomy and phylogeny of Hippopotamidae restricted the definition of Hexaprotodon to extinct Asian hippos and revalidated Choeropsis for the extant Pygmy Hippo. An endemic subspecies, the Niger Delta or Heslop’s Pygmy Hippopotamus (heslopi), was reported based on osteologic specimens obtained by Heslop in 1945 when examined years later by Corbet in 1969 and Coryndon in 1977 due to variations in cranial anatomy. As no complete specimen was ever brought into captivity, and the description of this subspecies is based on only one skull, mandible, and skin, the veracity of this subspecies is difficult to confirm. Despite this scarcity of literature, there is general agreement that if this subspecies existed it is possibly extinct in Nigeria, as the last wild animal in that region was seen in 1943. Two subspecies recognized.</p> <p>Subspecies and Distribution.</p> <p>C.l.liberiensisMorton,1849—Guinea,SierraLeone,Liberia,IvoryCoast.</p> <p>C. l. heslop: Corbet, 1969 — Nigeria (possibly extinct).</p> <p>Descriptive notes. Head-body 150-175 cm, tail 20 cm, shoulder height 75-100 cm; weight 160-270 kg. Distinctly barrel-shaped body, with somewhat longer limbs and more proportionate head than Common Hippo. Skin is gray and appears greasy. Body virtually hairless except on snout and tail. Feet have four toes. Dental formula: 12/1, C1/1,P 3/3, M 3/3 (=2)= 34.</p> <p>Habitat. Found in densely forested lowland areas of West Africa. Preferred habitat is streams in forest and in some areas they have been associated with low-hanging Rhaphia palm trees.</p> <p>Food and Feeding. Feeding has not been studied in detail in wild populations, but they are believed to browse, feeding on leaves, aquatic plants, and fallen fruit as well as roots and tubers. Thick lips used to tear and remove forage.</p> <p>Breeding. Most information comes from captive animals, as there is no accurate data on reproduction, including breeding season, for wild populations. Sexual maturity occurs at about 4-5 years of age. From studies of captive animals, the estrous cycle averages 35-5 days with estrus itself lasting 24-48 hours. No obvious seasonality in reproduction. Mating occurs on land and in water, typically 1-4 times during an estrous period. Gestation approximately six months, resulting in a single young (rarely twins) weighing about 5 kg. Calves may be cached or hidden when first born, but can readily swim shortly afterwards.</p> <p>Activity patterns. Most active at night but not limited to night-time hours. Thought to be associated with rivers or streams.</p> <p>Movements, Home range and Social organization. More active at night, following game trails or tunnel-like paths through dense forest vegetation. Associated with rivers and streams, butless reliant on a single water source than Common Hippos. Home range estimated 2 km?® for males and 0-5 km? for females. May den or rest in dense vegetation during the day.</p> <p>Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Endangered on The [UCN Red List. Primary threats are widespread habitat loss to logging and clearing for agriculture. Opportunistic bushmeat hunting has been reported in more fragmented areas and is believed to pose an additional threat to species viability. A population estimate in the early 1990s stated that there were less than 3000 individuals remaining. Although the true population size is unknown, even that estimate may be high and populations most likely are continuing to decline such that a 20% decrease over the course of the next 20 years is not without reason.</p> <p>Bibliography. Boisserie (2005), Boisserie &amp; Lihoreau (2006), Boisserie, Lihoreau &amp; Brunet (2005), Boisserie, Zazzo et al. (2005), Corbet (1969), Coryndon (1977), Eltringham (1993, 1999), Lewison &amp; Oliver (2008a), Olivier &amp; Laurie (1974), Robinson (1970, 1981), Roth et al. (2004).</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/DB3DFC790D1FE6792124FE50F842314C	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Don E. Wilson;Russell A. Mittermeier	Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (2011): Hippopotamidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 308-319, ISBN: 978-84-96553-77-4, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5719835
