Warthog

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the animal. See A-10 Thunderbolt II for the aircraft commonly nicknamed "Warthog".

Warthog
Conservation status
Least concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Suidae Genus: Phacochoerus Species: P. africanus
Binomial name
Phacochoerus africanus (Pallas, 1766)

Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Sociality 4 Ecology 5 Longevity 6 External links 7 References in pop culture 8 References

[edit] Taxonomy

The Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) ("African Lens-Pig") is a wild member of the pig family that lives in Africa. The common name comes from the four large wart-like tusks found on the head of the warthog, which serve the purpose of defense when males fight. They are the only widely recognised species in their genus, though some authors divide them into two species. On that classification, P. africanus is the Common (or Northern) Warthog and P. aethiopicus is the Desert Warthog, also known as the Cape Warthog or Somali Warthog.

[edit] Description

Warthogs are identifiable by the two pairs of tusks protruding from their mouth, which are used as weapons against predators. Warthogs range in size from 0.9 to 1.5 metres (2.9-4.9 feet) in length and 50 to 150 kg (110-330 pounds) in weight.

[edit] Sociality

A grouping of warthogs is called a sounder. Common warthog sounders are usually composed of 3 to 10 animals, although groups as large as 30 have been anecdotally reported. The "core" of the sounder is usually a sow with offspring. A sounder can be composed of multiple males and their respective offspring, and females tend to stay with their family group for several breeding seasons.

On the other hand, males tend to live alone or in small bachelor groups with individuals that come and go, but they tend to stay within their natal range. Mature males only join female groups when sows are in heat. Males are not territorial, but will fight among themselves for mating opportunities during breeding season, sometimes inflicting significant and serious wounds with tusks.

[edit] Ecology

Although warthogs are commonly seen in (and associated with) open grasslands, they will also seek shelter and forage in denser vegetation. In fact, warthogs prefer to forage in dense, moist areas when available. The common warthog diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, eggs, dead animals, and even small mammals, reptiles and birds. The diet is seasonably variable, depending on availability of different food items. Areas with many bulbs, rhizomes and nutritious roots can support large numbers of warthogs. Warthogs are powerful diggers, using both heads and feet. When feeding, they often bend the front legs backwards and move around staying on the knees. Although they can dig their own burrows, they commonly occupy abandoned aardvark burrows. The warthog commonly enters burrows "back-end first", with the head always facing the opening and ready to burst out as needed.

Warthogs are very fast runners and quite capable jumpers. They will often run with their tail in the air. Despite poor eyesight, warthogs have a good sense of smell, which they use for locating food, detecting predators and recognizing other animals.

Although capable of fighting, and males will aggressively fight each other during mating season, their main defense is to flee by means of fast sprinting. The main warthog predators are humans, lions, leopards and hyenas. Cheetahs are also capable of taking small warthogs.

[edit] Longevity

Wild warthogs can live up to 15 years. Captive warthogs may live as long as 18 years. The typical gestation period is 5 or 6 months and the litter size is 2 to 8 piglets, although 2 to 4 is more typical. Piglets are weaned at 3 or 4 months of age, reaching sexual maturity at 18 to 24 months. Females may give birth twice a year.

[edit] External links

• Pictures of the Warthogs

[edit] References in pop culture

• Fictional warthog characters are common in popular culture worldwide, including Pumbaa from The Lion King, Reynold from Jungle Jam and Friends: The Radio Show!, Bebop from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Herbert from 64 Zoo Lane, Wally in Rampage: Total Destruction, Crabs the warthog doll from Cow and Chicken, the crime-fighting Wonder Wart-Hog, and Ms. Mucus from Camp Lazlo.

• Punk rock band The Ramones wrote a song about warthogs — called 'Warthog'.

• In the Halo video games, a Warthog is a futuristic Jeep-like vehicle.

• In one episode of the comic strip FoxTrot, the character Jason posts a picture of his sister in the Wikipedia "Warthog" article (see Image:Foxtrot wikipedia.jpg).

• The Winston-Salem entry in the Carolina League is named the "Warthogs", inspired in the early 1990s by the arrival of warthogs at the North Carolina Zoo. Warthogs are typically considered ugly-looking, and at least one North Carolina newspaper announced their arrival with the ironic headline, "Warthogs to grace state zoo."

• An episode of Psych featured the two comedic detectives trying to assist in the birthing process for a not-very-friendly warthog.

• In a Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson portrays what appeared to be a normal cocktail party, except that instead of humans, the participants are warthogs. One female warthog says to another, in reference to a self-important male out of hearing range, "Well, look who's here. ... God's gift to warthogs."

• The long-lasting Finnish humor magazine Pahkasika.

[edit] References

• Pigs & Peccaries Specialist Group (1996). Phacochoerus africanus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.