ANIMAL: Wild Boar Sus scrofa Type of Animal: Wild Pig Habitat: Grasslands, forests/woodlands, desert/semi-desert, mountainous areas, wetlands, savanna, scrubland, marshland, swampland, shrubland, agricultural areas, riparian areas, basically any habitat w/ nearby water source/shelter/food, even urban areas Location(s): Eurasia, N. Africa, Caucasus, the Levant, Asia Minor, much of Iran through C & E Asia. Introduced to US (especially prevalent in SE US & California) as well as Hawaii, Bermuda, part of SW Argentina, parts of Brazil, parts of Colombia, parts of the Caribbean, parts of Sub-Saharan Africa (primarily Sudan & S Africa), Alaska, Canada, Australia, & New Zealand. Appearance: Bulky w/ short, thin legs, short robust trunk, large head, boars larger than sows, Russian subspecies largest, high skulled, thick underwool, poorly developed mane, tusks more developed in boar, sometimes called razorbacks due to tall knotty hair strip running down backbone, those in drier & warmer areas smaller, all subspecies gray to dark brown to black, boars larger than sows, piglets often striped. Food/Diet: Roots, tubers, bulbs, nuts, rhizomes, berries, seeds, acorns, fruit, vegetables, grains, grasses, forbs, fungi, herbs, water plants, crops, legumes, carrion, refuse, invertebrates, invertebrate larvae, reptiles, mammals up to size of small deer, calves, sheep, goats, monkeys, & dogs, birds, eggs, amphibians, bark, leaves, twigs, shoots, stems, fish, human handouts, poisonous plants, algae, seaweed, lichens, peat, basically anything they can find Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding from zoos, private breeders, & farms. Bred for meat. Lifestyle: Sounders consist of 2-20 sows & offspring, sometimes accompanied by boar. Many boars solitary. Younger boars can be found in smaller bachelor groups. Additional Info: Called: Male: Boar Female: Sow Young: Piglet Group: Sounder Weight: Male: 110-770 lbs Female: 91-300 lbs Young: 7.9-13.2 lbs Gestation: 3.5-4 months Life Span: 10-14 years in wild, up to 20 years in captivity Height: Male: 2.16-4.08 ft Female: 2.08-2.91 ft Body Length: Male: 4.5-6.6 ft Female: 3-4.5 ft Tail Length: Male: 1.3 ft Female: 0.5 ft Main predators of adults are tigers, leopards, snow leopards, lynxes, wolves, bears, crocodilians, dholes, coyotes, cougars/pumas, bobcat, clouded leopard, lions, jaguars, large pythons, jungle cats, golden eagles, dogs, hyenas, & ocelots. Young preyed on by raptors, mongooses, yellow-throated martens, foxes, raccoons, & larger adults. Ancestor of domestic pigs. Fun Fact(s): Extremely dangerous when cornered/wounded or protecting piglets. Invasive animals often hybridize w/ domestic pigs. Feral hogs often derive from these hybrids & sometimes purely domestic pigs. Often persecuted since they cause crop damage, eat poultry & eggs, hybridize w/ domestic pigs, eat smaller livestock, attack when confronted, & carry diseases that can be fatal to domestic pigs as well as people. Boar hunting has been popular for a long time among many different cultures & still is in many areas.
