Pygmy hippopotamuses are colored black-brown to purple, with creamy gray on the undersides and sometimes pink splotches/patches. Their cheeks have a pink tint to them. They are hairless except for areas around the lips and tail. They have a barrel-shaped body with proportionately longer legs and necks in relation to their body size than the larger common hippopotamus. They have four toes on each foot. Their toes are separated and have nails. They have only a single pair of incisors and very sharp, self-honing canine teeth.

Major threats to pygmy hippos include logging, farming, and human settlement. They are occasionally hunted for meat. The population trend is decreasing in the wild. The wild population is currently thought to be between 2,000 and 3,000 individuals.

• Listed as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).

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