#suidae

[mammalianmammals]

Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus), family Suidae, found across much of tropical west-central Africa

photograph by roylesafaris

[antiqueanimals]

Indian Wild Boar by Winifred Austen. From Wild Beasts of the World, Vol. Two. Written by Frank Finn, published in 1909.

Internet Archive

[inatungulates]

Pygmy hog Porcula salvania

Observed by ehuetti, CC BY-NC

[thunderbottle]

a god half forgotten

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

No one enjoys a mud puddle more than a pig! However, it's not because they're dirty-- in fact domestic pigs can be quite clean. Rather, members of the family Suidae have few to no sweat glands, and when it gets hot a nice mud bath is the perfect way to cool off! Wallowing also helps wild pigs remove parasites like fleas and ticks.

(Image: A wild boar (Sus scrofus) fresh from a dip by Martin Zwick)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

[snototter]

A bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus) in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

by Bernard Dupont

[ninjartistic]

Unnamed Hellpig character

He’s a mix of entelodont, warthog and babirusa. Open to name suggestions, I can’t come up with one atm

[dougdimmadodo]

Sulawesi Babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis)

Family: Pig Family (Suidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Native to the islands of Sulawesi, Pulau Muna, Butung and Lembeh in Indonesia, the Sulawesi Babirusa is a small, slender, almost entirely hairless species of wild pig best known for the four enormous curled tusks seen in adult males (which are derived from highly elongated canine teeth,) although adult females also possess a single pair of smaller, less elaborate tusks protruding from their lower jaws. The tusks of a male babirusa are used to intimidate rival males and impress potential mates (with females generally preferring males with larger, curlier tusks,) although despite their impressive appearance they are brittle and unsuited for fighting; males generally resolve conflicts through intimidation alone, but if a fight does occur they instead rear up onto their hind legs and strike at each other with their front hooves, similar to a clumsier version of the boxing behaviour of hares. Typically inhabiting dense forests or canebrakes (forest-like areas dominated by tall bamboo of the genus Arundinaria,) members of this species tend to remain near permanent bodies of water such as rivers and large ponds and feed mainly on fallen fruit, although like other pig species they are unspecialised omnivores and will also readily consume leaves, roots and small invertebrates. Female Sulawesi Babirusas live in groups of around 15 adults accompanied by their young, while males are generally solitary outside of the mating season (between January and August). Unlike most pigs females of this species produce only small litters of 1-2 piglets each year, with young being born tuskless and covered in a coat of short, reddish-brown hair.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/74099-Babyrousa-celebensis

[emilyschnallart]

Boar, my beloved

ko-fi ❤️

[akire2002]

Just a sketch of my redesigned character

Design is based on extinct pig named Kubanochoerus It is some sort of a hybrid of demon and pig

I really love pigs and their spectacular intelligence and their complex behavior

And it saddens me that they get bad reputation from all the misinformation about them and that people see them only as commodities

If you give them a chance to know them you will see that they are so much more

some fun facts: - they like to decorate their nests with flowers - they don't like to poop/pee where they sleep so they will go as far as they can from their nest, they are one of the cleanest animals - mother pigs like to sing to their children when they are nursing - studies have found they're smarter than dogs and even 3-year-old children - pigs are capable of solving problems even faster than chimpanzees - they don't have as effective sweat glands so they can't stink - they like lying in the mud to cool down just like other animals - there is some research suggesting that they have much better sence of smell than dogs - they can be really nice pets, but they can be little stubborn just like a human child and you should make research first before getting one

[mammalianmammals]

North Sulawesi Babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis), male, family Suidae, found on Sulawesi and nearby islands in Indonesia

photographs: Oregon Zoo, Masteraah, HarshLight

[antiqueanimals]

Drawing Animals. Written and illustrated by Maurice Wilson. Published in 1964.

Internet Archive

[inatungulates]

Bornean bearded pig Sus barbatus barbatus

Observed by bobzakaria, CC BY-NC

[podartists]

The South African River Hog (Potamochoerus africanus) | Joseph Wolf | Zoological sketches v.1 (1861) | Biodiversity Heritage Library | Flickr | Public domain

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Wandering with the  Warthog

Perhaps most famously known for their role in the US animated film The Lion King, the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a species of warthog endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Its sister species, the desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is limited to the Horn of Africa’s deserts. Both live in arid scrublands and woodlands; the common warthog also thrive in savannahs, and are the only pig to do so. Both species are also omnivorous, feeding on grass and shrubs, roots, insects, and carrion. They, in turn, are prey for lions, leopards, and cheetahs.

Members of the warthog genus are highly social. Females and their young live in groups called “sounders”, which travel around a home range guarded by a solitary male. Often females bond, raising their young together and sometimes mounting each other while in heat. These bonds can extend to protecting each other from predators and even potential male mates. Males can also form social bonds, although they tend to remain solitary outside the breeding season.

Rutting begins at the end of the rainy season, around June, and continues until the end of the dry season in November or December. During the rut, male boars will seek out female burrows and defend them against other boars. However, typically only the duller upper tusks are used for fighting; the sharper lower ones are saved for predators. Both males and females mate with multiple partners, and males provide no parental care, leaving soon after. Gestation lasts for about 5-6 months, after which females give birth in a  burrow separate from the rest of the group. Litters for the common warthog can be as large as 8 piglets, while desert warthogs give birth to only 2 or 3. However, mothers in both species have been observed “allosucking“, or allowing piglets other than their own children to suckle. Piglets take about 6 months to fully wean, although they stay close to their mother until they are fully grown at about 2 years old. Warthogs can live anywhere from 11 to 18 years old.

Both Phacochoerus species are about medium sized, between 63-85cm tall at the shoulder and weighing about 45-75 kilos, with males usually larger than females. Individuals can be coloured grey, brown, or black, and usually sport a coarse mane and brush-like tail that flares up as a warning to predators. Warthogs are also known for their distinctive tusks; both males and females have two pairs that protrude from the mouth and curl upwards. The lower pair is shorter than the upper pair and sharpens by rubbing against the upper pair every time the warthog moves its mouth. P. africanus can be distinguished from P. aethiopicus by their facial features; P. aethiopicus lacks insicors, has a larger snout, and the tips of their ears curl back.

Conservation status: Warthogs are considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Many areas of both species’ range is occupied by parks where they are protected. However, both habitat loss and poaching for ivory are common problems.

Photos

Charlie J. Sharp (via wikipedia)

Michel Gutierrez (via Flickr)

Bernard Dupont

Joel Sartore

[snototter]

A common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) in Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

by Barbara Evans