A note on the structure of tail hairs from a pygmy hippopotamus ( Choeropsis liberiensis )

The pygmy hippopotamus ( Choeropsis liberiensis ), like the Nile hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius ), defecates by backing into vertical objects while making a series of rapid, propellerlike tail movements that spread a mixture of urine and feces in a wide swath. Split hairs from the distal ventral surface of the pygmy hippopotamus tail were studied with the scanning electron microscope to determine whether the splitting was a normal character of the hair or was due to damage. The results suggest that splitting is a normal feature of the hair that may facilitate the dispersal of urine and feces.