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| Scientific Name: Phacochoerus africanus |
| Until recently there was thought to be but one species of warthog. It has now been determined that there are two species: the common, widely distributed form exhibited by Riverbanks and other zoos, and a desert warthog, P. aethiopicus. This second species is restricted to the southern Cape region of South Africa, where it is now extinct, and a second population that is limited to northern Kenya and Somalia. It is differentiated from the common warthog on the basis of its smaller size and cranial/dental differences that include the loss of functional incisors (teeth). |
| Description: |
Warthogs are a relatively small member of the pig family (Suidae) but a species famous for their large facial warts. Actually, the warts, consisting only of cartilage, are evident only on males. No vestige of the wart is present on the skull. In old males, the upper canines are quite pronounced and very visible, remaining sharp by constantly rubbing on the lower teeth.
In comparison to other true swine, warthogs are one of the smallest species, with males reaching only 250-300 pounds; females are smaller. Proportionately, however, their heads are much larger than that of other pigs, measuring a full sixth of their bodies' lengths. Overall, warthogs appear gray to brown, colored by the tone of the mud and dust in which they roll. A long mane of hair runs down the center of their backs.
Like other species of swine, baby warthogs are light brown in color and have rows of white spots on their sides, presumably to help camouflage them from predators. When alarmed, young and old alike flee with their tails held erect, running in a gallop or prance. |
| Social Habits: |
| Male warthogs often live alone or in small bachelor groups. Females may live in small family groups that consist of several adult females and young. Warthogs have the longest gestation of any swine (170-175 days), a characteristic that produces fewer but more precocious offspring. Because females possess only four mammaries, litters over four are seldom seen; only two young normally reach maturity. Warthogs are grazers, feeding primarily on grasses and seeds, which they eat by kneeling on their knees and ankles. They also feed on fruits, insects and carrion when available. Warthogs live in enlarged burrows of aardvarks and other burrowing species, retreating underground when danger from lions and other carnivores threatens them. Diurnal animals, they also spend the night in their burrows, arising from them in the morning to bask in the sun before leaving to feed. To better retain body heat, warthogs, like other suids, often rest in close contact with each other. |
| Range: |
| Warthogs are the only suids adapted to a hot, dry grassland, shrub or desert habitat. Within these perimeters, they range from West Africa east across the continent to Somalia and south to Kruger National Park in South Africa, and are found as high as 10,000 feet on Mount Kilamanjaro in Tanzania. The only natural barriers within their overall range are those created by forested regions. Because they are relatively small in comparison to other swine and have no insulating fat layers, they cannot withstand sub-freezing temperatures and are not found in truly cold or alpine elevations; young are particularly cold-sensitive. |
| Status in the Wild: |
| Warthogs are still common throughout most of their original range. In Somalia, they are now the only common large mammals. In certain areas of intense agriculture, they have been reduced or eliminated because of the threat of disease. |
| Status in Captivity: |
In 1937, warthogs and other wild swine were banned from importation because of concerns that they would transmit diseases affecting domestic livestock. New testing protocols were not available until 1988, and even after that date, importations had to originate from captive collections in Europe and Russia. Only a short time ago, techniques became available to allow warthogs and other wild swine to be imported directly from Africa or Asia.
Until recently, nearly all warthogs exhibited in captivity were a mixture of several subspecies of the common warthog. All were several generations removed from the wild and when first imported, zoos paid as much as $49,000 for each pair. Due to the ease of breeding, however, most warthogs are now transferred by loan. Both specimens at Riverbanks were obtained by loan and have produced several litters. Warthogs can live up to 15 years. |
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