Giant Forest Hog

Hylochoerus meinertzhageni

As a species, the Giant Forest Hog of Central Africa is considered to be the largest pig in the entire world. Its only rivals for this title are a handful of Wild Boar subspecies, but even if there is a bigger hog out there somewhere, a body length of nearly 7ft is nothing to sneeze at! (There are actually three different subspecies of the Forest Hogs themselves, with the easternmost being the largest.)

Giant Forest Hogs only live in a handful of African countries, and require humid, densely vegetated habitats. Because of their forest swelling nature, they were not first officially described until 1904, and even now they aren't especially well studied.

The Hogs live in family groups called "sounders" that normally contain one adult males, a handful of females, and their offspring.   Males will fight for breeding rights, charging at each other and ramming their heads together. These fights are occasionally fatal for one or even both parties. Though they do breed year round, most births take place around the rainy season.

Giant Forest Hogs are nocturnal and typically herbivorous-- they feed on different grasses and sedges, and will sometimes take eggs and carrion as well. And even though these Hogs are huge, they still have predators, especially the young ones. Hyenas and Jaguars are their biggest threats.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Central Africa
Size : Length up to 7ft (2.2m), Weight up to 610lbs (275kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Hylochoerus-- Species : H. meinertzhageni

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Pygmy Hog

Porcula salvania

Meet the Pygmy Hog, a tiny little pig found only in Assam, India. They are the smallest members of the pig family. Pygmy Hogs are now a critically endangered species, and it is estimated that there are only 150 left in the wild.

Pygmy Hogs have had a confusing taxonomic history. They were first described back in 1847, and were placed into a brand new genus. But then it was decided that they were actually closely related to the European Wild Boars, and were moved into the genus Sus, which contains several extant species. It wasn't until 2007 that genetic testing confirmed that the original taxonomic placement was correct.

Pygmy Hogs live in areas with tall grasses, which they use to build small sleeping nests while they wander about for food (roots, grasses, insects). Females even build little nests in which to give birth! Once born, the infant hogs will stay hidden in these nests for about a week.

Though the species is Critically Endangered, there is hope for the future. A captive bred population was released into the reserve in 2002, and there are plans for additional reintroductions.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : India
Size : Height up to 1ft (30cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Porcula -- Species : P. salvania

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Visayan Warty Pig

Visayan Warty Pig as the LA Zoo

One of my favorite things about going to new zoos is seeing incredible species that I never even new existed. One critter that I encountered at both the Los Angeles and San Diego zoos was the Visayan Warty Pig, one of the most endangered pigs int eh entire world.

The species was endemic to only six islands in the Philippines, and they are now extinct on four of those due to overhunting and habitat loss. When farming began to spread, the pigs were considered pests and were exterminated. Negros and Panay are now the only places were the Visayan Warty Pig can be found in the wild. Because they are so rare in the wild, and were only recognized as a species in the early 1990s, little is actually known about their behavior outside of captivity.

We do know that the species is social, and lives in small groups of around half a dozen members (sometimes more). The give birth during the dry season (January through March) and have an average of four piglets. They are herbivores that feed on fruits and roots.

Once the species was evaluated, emergency breeding programs were set up in a handful of zoos worldwide. Los Angeles, San Diego, St. Louis, and Oregon are some of the locations in the United States that are working to preserve this species that has lost 95% of its wild population.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Philippines
Size : Body Length up to 4ft (1.2m), Weight up to 88lbs (40kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Sus -- Species : S. cebifrons

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Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

Let me introduce you to the majestic Warthog, the pig king of the Savanna! Did you know that Warthogs are, in fact, the only pigs to have adapted to life in open, exceptionally dry habitats? Other species are forest dwellers that cannot go without for extended periods like the Warthogs can.

So why does a Warthog have warts?
Well actually... they don't. The bumps on their faces are thick skin pads that are used for protection. These come in handy during the mating season when males fight each other over females. Though the fights can get vicious, the males rarely are seriously injured thanks to the cushioning on their faces.

Warthogs are split up into four separate subspecies that are distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. They live in family groups that are typically comprised of a female an her young, though sometimes females pair up with other (often related) females, and live in larger groups. Males are typically solitary, and only interact with these groups for mating purposes.

Warthogs are omnivores. They feed most commonly on grasses and bulbs, and they use their long snouts to root around for meals. They also regularly consume insects, especially during the wet season. Warthogs themselves are preyed upon by big cats, wild dogs, and birds of prey. Thankfully they have unusually long legs for a pig, and can run at speeds of up to 34mph (55kph)! The Warthogs will also fight their attackers using their tusks.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m), Weight up to 170lbs (75kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Phacochoerus -- Species : P. africanus

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Wild Boar

Sus scrofa

Wild Boars are the ancestors of domesticated pigs. They are native across Europe and Asia, but have been introduced to Australia and North America. The species first appeared in these locations for food, but were later imported for sport hunting. The United States Department of Agriculture now considers them to be an invasive species, because they damage native plants and crops.

Wild Boars are the largest members of the Sus genus. There are a whole mess of subspecies spread across the Eastern Hemisphere, but the exact number is disputed due to interbreeding between them.

Piglets

In the wild, Boars live in forest areas near bodies of water. They like to stay near mud so that they can wallow, a practice that helps to both keep them cool, and to remove parasites. Wild Boars live in loose territories, and the females are rather social, living in groups that can number up to 30 individuals. Males are more solitary and will intermingle only during the breeding season. Mating happens only once a year for females, and they can have as many as 12 piglets!

Did you know that Wild Boars are omnivores? Though they eat mostly plant matter, the Boars will also eat bird eggs, lizards, and other small animals. They use their snouts to forage around for food, and they live a nocturnal lifestyle.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Native to Europe and Asia

Size : Shoulder height 35in (90cm), Weight 200lbs (90kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Sus -- Species : S. scrofa

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Bearded Pig

Bearded Pigs

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae
Genus : Sus
Species : barbatus

Weight : 95lbs (210kg)

IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Bearded Pigs are native to the Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, part of Indonesia, and a handful of other Southeast Asian islands. They live in family groups, and are quite unique among pigs for the long migration that they undertake. During these migrations hundreds of pigs travel together under the leadership of an older male. They follow old paths at night, paths that they have probably been traveling for generations. During the day they retreat into the brush, and are in fact dirunal creatures during the parts of the year when they are not migrating.

Bearded Pig

Bearded Pigs also have the distinction of having the slimmest torsos of any pig, as well as the longest head. They get their name from the warts on their faces that are covered with beard-like hair. Thhey also have whiskers all over their face, and bushy tails.

Female pigs reach sexual maturity around 18 months. After a four month gestation period the female will leave her group to go and build a nest, which can be as large as six feet across and three feet high. She gives birth to up to eight striped piglets in this nest, and they will stay in the nest together for the first ten days of life. Piglets remain with their mother for up to a year.

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