Pygmy hippopotamus unusual secretion as common hippos, that gives a pinkish tinge to their bodies, and is sometimes described as "blood sweat" though the secretion is neither sweat nor blood. This substance, hipposudoric acid, is believed to have antiseptic and sunscreening properties. The skin of hippos dries out quickly and cracks, which is why both species spend so much time in water. The skeleton of "C. liberiensis" is more gracile than that of the common hippopotamus, meaning their bones are proportionally thinner. The common hippo's spine is parallel with the ground; the pygmy hippo's back slopes forward, a likely adaptation to pass
African pygmy mouse African pygmy mouse The African pygmy mouse ("Mus minutoides") is one of the smallest rodents. It is widespread within sub-Saharan Africa, and is kept as a pet in other parts of the world. Like the common house mouse, it is a member of the enormous superfamily Muroidea, which includes about 1000 different species. Grey to brick-red overall, it is pale on the underside and has small but prominent triangular ears. Adults are between long, with a tail, and weigh from . African pygmy mice reach breeding age at about 6 to 8 weeks. Pregnancy lasts for around 20 days and