Trivia question for Apr-04-2011

A very relieved Carter is up today for our trivia.  They both did an amazing job conducting their very first hour-long presentation at the “Caring for Creation Conference” in NC., to a large audience of caring individuals.  So this is what Carter came up with for you today.

This is a large mammal native to the forests and swamps of western Africa (the specific name liberiensis means “of Liberia”, as this is where the vast majority live). They are reclusive and nocturnal. It is one of only two extant species in the Hippopotamidae family.

A rare nocturnal forest creature, these guys are very difficult to study in the wild. They were unknown outside of West Africa until the 19th century. Introduced to zoos in the early 20th century, they breed well in captivity and the vast majority of research is derived from zoo specimens.

So here are Carter’s questions: What is this cute looking critter and how many are reportedly left in the wild?  Also how much faster than humans do these guys loose water when exposed to the dry air?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Gina for being the first with the correct answers.  The little guys we featured is the Pygmy Hippopotamus.  The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. Pygmy hippos are primarily threatened by loss of habitat, as forests are logged and converted to farm land, and are also vulnerable to poaching, hunting, natural predators and war.

As for the question regarding how quickly their skin dries out, in dry air, the pygmy hippo loses water five times faster than a humans.  Here is more on these cute little guys: Pygmy Hippo

Thanks for playing along 😉