コビトカバ

こ

び

と

か

ば

Meanings

1

pygmy hippopotamus

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the species Choeropsis liberiensis, a small hippopotamus native to West Africa.

The pygmy hippopotamus is much smaller than the common hippopotamus.

カバ is the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), while コビトカバ is a distinct, much smaller species.

コビトカバ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is standard for this animal name; usually written in kana.
小こ人びと河か馬ば
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Compound of 小人 (kobito, 'dwarf') and 河馬 (kaba, 'hippopotamus'), literally 'dwarf hippopotamus'.