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
Madagascan pygmy shrew Madagascan pygmy shrew The Madagascan pygmy shrew ("Suncus madagascariensis") is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is the only known Malagasy shrew. Some taxonomists regard it as conspecific with the widely distributed Etruscan shrew, the smallest known mammal by mass. It is found in Madagascar and the Comoros, at altitudes from sea level to 1500 m. It is thought to be more common in the less humid western and southern parts of Madagascar. This shrew may also be present on Socotra. The species is found primarily in forests, and is presumed to be solitary, nocturnal and insectivorous,