Bearded Pig
Encyclopedia
The bearded pig also known as the Bornean bearded pig, is a species
of pig
. It can be recognized by its prominent beard. It also sometimes has tassels on its tail. It is found in Southeast Asia
—Sumatra
, Borneo
, the Malay Peninsula
, and various smaller islands—where it inhabits rainforest
s and mangrove
forests. The bearded pig lives in a family. It can reproduce from the age of 18 months, and can be cross-bred with other species in the family
Suidae
. The San Diego Zoo
was the first zoo in the western hemisphere
to breed them. As of January 2011, it is also held in London Zoo
, Hellabrunn Zoo, Gladys Porter Zoo
, Lowry Park Zoo
, Philadelphia Zoo
, National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara), Zoo Taiping, and Singapore Zoo
.
of this pig:
As traditionally defined, the nominate is from Borneo, and S. b. oi is from the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Genetic
evidence suggests that this is incorrect and that S. b. oi is better limited to Sumatra, leaving bearded pigs from both Borneo and the Malay Peninsula in the nominate subspecies. Those from Bangka Island
appear somewhat intermediate between the two subspecies.
The Palawan Bearded Pig
(Sus ahoenobarbus) has formerly been considered a subspecies of the bearded pig. However, as indicated by its genetic and morphological distinctness, under the phylogenetic species concept (which does not use subspecies) it needs to be elevated to full species status; while the situation is less clear under other species concepts (as not all S. barbatus populations have been restudied in modern times), the presently-available information seems to favor full species status for S. ahoenobarbus in any case.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
. It can be recognized by its prominent beard. It also sometimes has tassels on its tail. It is found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
—Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
, and various smaller islands—where it inhabits rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s and mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forests. The bearded pig lives in a family. It can reproduce from the age of 18 months, and can be cross-bred with other species in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Suidae
Suidae
Suidae is the biological family to which pigs belong. In addition to numerous fossil species, up to sixteen extant species are currently recognized, classified into between four and eight genera...
. The San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
was the first zoo in the western hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
to breed them. As of January 2011, it is also held in London Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, Hellabrunn Zoo, Gladys Porter Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas. The zoo officially opened on September 3, 1971, and currently averages 375,000 visitors annually. Situated on , the zoo houses about 400 animal species and over 250 tropical and neo-tropical species and subspecies...
, Lowry Park Zoo
Lowry Park Zoo
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is a nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida. In 2004, Lowry Park Zoo was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US by Child Magazine, and is recognized by the State of Florida as the center for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity .Tampa's Lowry Park Zoological...
, Philadelphia Zoo
Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was the first zoo in the United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed by the American Civil War until July 1, 1874...
, National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara), Zoo Taiping, and Singapore Zoo
Singapore Zoo
The Singapore Zoo , formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens and commonly known locally as the Mandai Zoo, occupies 28 hectares of land on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. The zoo was built at a cost of S$9m granted by...
.
Subspecies
There are two subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of this pig:
- Sus barbatus barbatus (the nominate subspecies)
- (Sus barbatus oi) (the western bearded pig)
As traditionally defined, the nominate is from Borneo, and S. b. oi is from the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
evidence suggests that this is incorrect and that S. b. oi is better limited to Sumatra, leaving bearded pigs from both Borneo and the Malay Peninsula in the nominate subspecies. Those from Bangka Island
Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...
appear somewhat intermediate between the two subspecies.
The Palawan Bearded Pig
Palawan Bearded Pig
The Palawan Bearded Pig is a species of pig endemic to the Philippines, where they can only be found on the archipelago of islands formed by Balabac, Palawan and the Calamian Islands...
(Sus ahoenobarbus) has formerly been considered a subspecies of the bearded pig. However, as indicated by its genetic and morphological distinctness, under the phylogenetic species concept (which does not use subspecies) it needs to be elevated to full species status; while the situation is less clear under other species concepts (as not all S. barbatus populations have been restudied in modern times), the presently-available information seems to favor full species status for S. ahoenobarbus in any case.
External links
- Groves, C. P. (1997). "Taxonomy of wild pigs (Sus) of the Philippines". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 120: 163–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1997.tb01277.x Abstract (full article requires subscription access)
- Sus barbatus by Nicole Knibbe in University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Museum of Zoology - Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Status Survey and Action Plan (1993) Chapter 5.5 by Julian O. Caldecott, Raleigh A. Blouch and Alastair A. Macdonald.