ANIMAL: Common Warthog Phacochoerus africanus Type of Animal: Wild Pig Habitat: Savanna, bushland, woodland, light forest, seasonal montane forest, grassland, plains Location(s): Most of Sub-Saharan Africa except in high mountains, deserts, and many forests Appearance: Brown tuft of hair on back, mainly gray and wrinkly, tusks much longer on boar (male) than on sow (female). Warts very conspicuous on boar. Food/Diet: Grasses, roots, berries, fruit, bark, fungi, eggs, bulbs, tubers, small mammals, birds, reptiles, earthworms, even carrion (dead animals) Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos and wildlife parks Lifestyle: Sounders consist of 2-5 related sows w/ up to 2 sets of piglets each, w or w/o an adult boar. Younger, related boars found in small bachelor groups. Some boars solitary. Additional Info: Called: Male-Boar Female-Sow Young-Piglet Group-Sounder Weight: Male-130-220 lbs Female-100-155 lbs Young-1.3 lbs-2 lbs Gestation: 5-6 months Height: Male- 2.3 ft Female- 2 ft Body Length: 3-5 ft, same for both sexes Life Span: 7-15 years, up to 20 years in captivity Tail Length: 0.8-1.6 ft, same for both sexes Main predators are lions, leopards, cheetahs, crocodiles, hyenas, wild dogs, pythons, & chimps. Large eagles prey on piglets. Fights between boars consist of shoving & butting heads, the warts are used for fighting protection, tusks are used in fights also. Warthogs can injure predators with their tusks. Warthogs are quite nomadic. Wallow in mud to get rid of flies & parasites as well as for cooling down. Often use abandoned aardvark dens for shelter & to raise young. Sexually mature at 1.5 years. Often shot as crop pests in Africa. Fun Fact(s): To defend themselves if cornered, they’ll enter rear first into their burrows. Like pigs, they don’t have sweat glands to cool down. Pumbaa, from Disney movie The Lion King, was a warthog. Unless cornered or protecting piglets, these animals would rather flee than fight back. Some say warthog meat tastes like pork. Can run up to 30 mph.
