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Bushpig
Encyclopedia
The bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus, is a member of the pig family
and lives in forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and reedbeds in East
and Southern Africa
. Probably introduced
populations are also present in Madagascar
and the Comoros
archipelago. Bushpigs are mainly nocturnal. There are several subspecies
.
Adult bushpigs stand from 66 centimetre at the shoulder, and weigh from 55 to 150 kg (121.3 to 330.7 lb). They resemble the domestic pig, and can be identified by their blunt, muscular snouts, small eyes, pointed, tufted ears and buckled toes. Their colour varies from reddish-brown to dark brown and becomes darker with age. Both sexes have a lighter-coloured mane
which bristles when the animal becomes agitated. The upper parts of the face and ears are also lighter in colour. Their sharp tusks are fairly short and inconspicuous. Unlike warthog
s, bushpigs run with their tails down. Males are normally larger than females.
The bushpig is closely related to the red river hog
, Potamochoerus porcus, with which it can interbreed. The bushpig is distinguished by its less colourful markings, hair, and larger size. Many pig populations display physical characteristics intermediate between the two species.
Bushpigs are quite social animals and are found in sounders of up to 12 members. A typical group will consist of a dominant male and a dominant female, with other females and juveniles accounting for the rest. Litters of three to four young are born in summer after a gestation period of approximately four months. Bushpigs can be very aggressive, especially when they have young.
They are omnivorous and their diet could include roots, crops or carrion
, as well as newborn lambs. They grunt softly while foraging, and make a long, resonant growl as an alarm call.
Still distributed over a wide range, the bushpig occurs from Ethiopia
and Somalia
to eastern and southern DR Congo and southwards to Cape
and KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa
,. It also occurs on some islands in the Indian Ocean
: Madagascar
and the Comoros
archipelago. It is not known how it reached these islands, but it was probably taken there by humans, possibly after a period of domestication
.
Subspecies include:
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...
and lives in forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and reedbeds in East
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
and Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
. Probably introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
populations are also present in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and the Comoros
Comoros
The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
archipelago. Bushpigs are mainly nocturnal. There are several subspecies
Subspecies
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...
.
Adult bushpigs stand from 66 centimetre at the shoulder, and weigh from 55 to 150 kg (121.3 to 330.7 lb). They resemble the domestic pig, and can be identified by their blunt, muscular snouts, small eyes, pointed, tufted ears and buckled toes. Their colour varies from reddish-brown to dark brown and becomes darker with age. Both sexes have a lighter-coloured mane
Mane
- Biology :* mane of a horse, the line of hair along the spine of the neck* mane of a lion, found around the male mammal's neck- Places :* Mane Department, a department in the Sanmatenga Province of Burkina Faso* French communes:...
which bristles when the animal becomes agitated. The upper parts of the face and ears are also lighter in colour. Their sharp tusks are fairly short and inconspicuous. Unlike warthog
Phacochoerus
Phacochoerus is a genus of wild pigs in the Suidae family that are known as warthogs. It is the sole genus of subfamily Phacochoerinae. They are found in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa...
s, bushpigs run with their tails down. Males are normally larger than females.
The bushpig is closely related to the red river hog
Red River Hog
The red river hog , also known as the bush pig , is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests...
, Potamochoerus porcus, with which it can interbreed. The bushpig is distinguished by its less colourful markings, hair, and larger size. Many pig populations display physical characteristics intermediate between the two species.
Bushpigs are quite social animals and are found in sounders of up to 12 members. A typical group will consist of a dominant male and a dominant female, with other females and juveniles accounting for the rest. Litters of three to four young are born in summer after a gestation period of approximately four months. Bushpigs can be very aggressive, especially when they have young.
They are omnivorous and their diet could include roots, crops or carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
, as well as newborn lambs. They grunt softly while foraging, and make a long, resonant growl as an alarm call.
Still distributed over a wide range, the bushpig occurs from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
to eastern and southern DR Congo and southwards to Cape
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
and KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
,. It also occurs on some islands in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
: Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and the Comoros
Comoros
The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
archipelago. It is not known how it reached these islands, but it was probably taken there by humans, possibly after a period of domestication
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
.
Subspecies include:
- Potamochoerus larvatus larvatus
- Potamochoerus larvatus edwardsi
- Potamochoerus larvatus hassama
- Potamochoerus larvatus koiropotamus
- Potamochoerus larvatus nyasae
- Potamochoerus larvatus somaliensis
External links
- Potamochoerus larvatus, Bushpig, Animal Diversity Web
- Pictures and facts about the Bushpig, www.thewebsiteofeverything.com
- Potamochoerus larvatus, Bushpig, www.ultimateungulate.com