Hello! Are you thinking if we are normal pigs that you see regularly? Surprisingly, we are not. We are the Wild Boars. We are the ancestors of most pig breeds that you see.
We have so much to tell you about us, have a look:
- We have an extremely large range and habitats. This distribution is due to humans distributing our populations.
- We were first known to be domesticated in 13000-12700 BCE in the Tigris Basin.
- MtDNA studies indicated that we originated from southeast Asia.
- We have a great sense of smell and few of us are actually recruited to detect drugs in Germany.
- We can run very fast despite our short legs. We can reach up to 40 mph.
- Our body structure is well suited for digging. We can dig up to a depth of 10cm of frozen ground and also can lift heavy boulders weighing 40kg-50kg.
- We are one of the four species (Mongoose, Honey Badger, and Hedgehogs) that are immune to snake venom.
- We are an important ancient figure in too many cultures.
- Neolithic Hunter-gatherers depicted us in the cave paintings.
- In Indo-European culture, we are known to be an animal that embodies warrior virtues.
- In Greek mythology, every hero has fought or killed one of us. We are also the symbol of darkness, death, and winter.
- The foundation myths of Ephesus have a city that is built over the place where Prince Androklos killed a Boar.
- In Egypt, we were explicitly linked to October and Autumn, indicating a dark theme.
- We also appear in the Scandinavian, Germanic, and Anglo-Saxon culture.
- We were respected very highly by celts who thought the wild boar was a sacred animal.
- We are also seen in Hindu Mythology. We are one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu. In this form, Lord Vishnu lifted and protected the earth by placing it on his muzzle while fighting with a demon.
- We are fearsome and reckless animal in Japanese culture. We are one of the oriental zodiac signs in Asia.
- In Kyrgystan, people, before converting to Islam, they did not eat pigs as they believed people were descendants of pigs.
SOME QUICK NOTES:
Our Scientific Name: Sus Scrofa.
Our Identification: Black pig with canines protruding. .
Our Habitat: wide range, almost most of habitats.
Our range:
Our Food habits: Omnivorous; feed on Rhizomes, bulbs, tubers, roots, nuts, seeds, berries, shoots, twigs, leaves, bark, insects, fish, bird eggs, snakes, frogs, carrion, lizards, rodents, mollusks, and Earthworms.
Our Breeding Period: November to January.
Our Gestation Period: 120-140 days.
Number of piglets born: 1
Lifespan: 4-5 years in wild, up to 20 years in captivity.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Not Listed.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule III.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Sus
Species: S. scrofa
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the ancestors of the domesticated pigs. We are also known as Wild Swine or Eurasian Wild Pig or simply Wild Pig. Let us tell you more about our species.
Wild Boars are scientifically called as Sus Scrofa.
HOW WE LOOK:
We look similar to normal pigs. We have a body length of 140cm-150cm, height of 70cm- 80cm and weighing 60kg-100kg.
We are black in color all over the body. We are bulky and massively built with short legs. We have a short and massive trunk that has large round nose and mouth with two big and sharp canine teeth. Our head is large along with our short and thick neck. Our neck is nearly immobile. Our ears are small and pointed.
Males and females of our species are sexually dimorphic meaning males and females look different. Males are larger than females. Males also have a mane running down the back. This mane consists of bristles of different sizes. The bristles at the back become erect when we become agitated. Young ones of our species are brown in color with stripes of black and white running on the side.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We are one of the very few mammals that are introduced and found in very wide range of habitats. We can live in any kinds of forests, plains and also near human settlements. Our range lies in all of Asia, all of Europe and most of Africa.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous animals. Our diet is of very wide range and depends on our habitat. We feed on Rhizomes, bulbs, tubers, roots, nuts, seeds, berries, shoots, twigs, leaves, bark, insects, fish, bird eggs, snakes, frogs, carrion, lizards, rodents, mollusks, and Earthworms.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
Unlike many other mammals, we are female-dominated species. Multiple females and young live together. Young males form groups while adults live alone. Our breeding season is from November to January. During this time, males search for female groups. When they find a group, males chase away young ones and mates with multiple females. They become very aggressive and defend the female group from other wild boars.
Females give birth to 4-6 piglets at a time and the gestation period is from 120-140 days. The young ones are taken care of and fed mostly by the female. The young chicks, if males, leave the group after 8-15 months while females retain in the group. Males reach sexual maturity at about 2 years while females attain sexual maturity at about 1 year. Our maximum lifespan in the wild is 10-14 years however we live about 4-5 years. In captivity, we can live up to 20 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We can run very fast despite our short legs. We can reach up to 40 kmph.
We were first known to domesticate in 13000-12700 BCE in the near Tigris Basin.
We are also seen in Hindu Mythology. We are one of the avatars of Lords Vishnu. In this form, Lord Vishnu, lifted and protected the earth by placing it on our muzzle.
Our body structure is well suited for digging. We can dig up to depth of 10cm and also can lift heavy boulders weighing 40kg-50kg.
OUR CONSERVATION:
Our huge range, our domestication, our high numbers, our non-declining numbers, we being invasive species has led us being listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN. In India, we are protected under Schedule III of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
