Pygmy hippopotamus the pygmy hippopotamus, are considered dwarf hippopotamuses, rather than pygmies. They are likely descended from a full-sized species of European hippopotamus, and reached their small size through the evolutionary process of insular dwarfism which is common on islands; the ancestors of pygmy hippopotami were also small and thus there was never a dwarfing process. There were also several species of pygmy hippo on the island of Madagascar (see Malagasy hippopotamus). Pygmy hippos share the same general form as a hippopotamus. They have a graviportal skeleton, with four stubby legs and four toes on each foot, supporting a portly frame. The
East Brazilian pygmy owl East Brazilian pygmy owl The East Brazilian pygmy owl ("Glaucidium minutissimum"), also known as least pygmy-owl or Sick's pygmy-owl, is a small owl in the typical owl family. It has been argued that the here used scientific name actually belongs to the Pernambuco pygmy owl, in which case the East Brazilian pygmy owl should be referred to "G. sicki" (König & Weick, 2005). This has not gained widespread recognition. Formerly, this species included the Colima pygmy owl, Tamaulipas pygmy owl, Central American pygmy owl, subtropical pygmy owl, and Baja pygmy owl as subspecies. This species has a very large range.