Wild Boar
Wild Boar Facts
| Size | Up to 5 feet (150 cm) (shoulder height) |
| Speed | Up to 37 mph (60 km/h) |
| Weight | 440-880 pounds (200-400 kg) |
| Lifespan | 15-20 years |
| Food | Grass, leaves, moss, lichens |
| Predators | Wolves, bears, polar bears |
| Habitat | Canada, Greenland, Alaska, Siberia |
| Order | Even-toed ungulates |
| Family | Bovids |
| Scientific name | Large ungulate with longest fur of all mammals |
| Characteristics | Ungulate with thick, shaggy coat; grunts |
Main Characteristics
Wild boars are medium-sized ungulates. Their most striking features are their thick, coarse coat and their long nose and long canines, which the animals use to dig for food. They're also known for their grunting. Being omnivores and adaptable they manage to populate a variety of habitats. This is why they're very widespread. All domestic pigs are descended from wild boars.
Names
A group of several animals is called a “sounder.” Their long teeth are “canines“ or “tusks”.
Distribution and Habitat
In Europe, wild boars live primarily in deciduous and mixed forests. However, they can also be found in the taiga and desert areas. In Asia they populate tropical jungles.
Life Style
Wild boars are nocturnal animals. During the day they rest and sleep for around twelve hours. At dusk, they become active and begin their search for food.
Anatomy and Appearance
Wild boars have a large, wedge-shaped head with a long snout, large ears and small eyes. They have a massive body and strong physique.
Size and Weight
Wild boars weigh 330-440 pounds (150-200 kg). Females are slightly lighter, males are heavier.
Coat
Wild boars have two types of fur: an upper coat and an undercoat. The upper coat is long and coarse. Along the back, there are long bristles that can be raised. They're especially visible in feral wild boars in America. That's why they're also called razorbacks. The undercoat is soft and downy. However, they only have an undercoat during winter, to protect them from the icy cold.
Color
In Western Europe, wild boars primarily have a brown coat. In Eastern Europe they are black. However, they can also be red or dark gray – it all depends on their habitat.
Nose
The wild boar's nose is disc-shaped and made up of flexible cartilage. It is very robust. It uses it to dig in the ground.
Canines
All wild boars have canine teeth. They're longer in males than in females. They grow to around 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) long. Usually, no more than 4 inches (10 cm) are visible.
Diet
Wild boars are omnivores. However, they mainly feed on plants. These make up about 90% of their diet. They primarily eat roots, acorns, young shoots, leaves, grass and fruits. The remaining 10% of their diet consists of worms, insects, mice, snails, small reptiles, eggs and fungi. They also eat carrion and garbage. In rural areas, they're not very popular because they destroy crops and rummage through trash cans.
Behavior
Communication
• Sounds
Wild boars communicate by using a variety of sounds. They grunt, squeak and chirp, growl and roar. Grunting is one of their “contact calls”. It serves to keep the group connected. The “alarm call” sounds like a gasp or screech and is used to warn of danger. “Battle cries” are very high, sharp screams. They can be heard when boars fight with each other during the mating season. When the animals are eating or are simply happy, they purr.
• Body Language
Wild boars also communicate using their body language, such as raising the hair on their back, flattening their ears, or grinding their teeth.
• Social Behavior
Females are gregarious and form groups of 6-20 animals, consisting of adults and their offspring. The males are loners most of the time.
• Wallowing
Why do wild boars roll in the mud? Wild boars love to wallow in the mud. Especially when it is very hot in summer. The mud cools, makes life difficult for parasites and protects against insect bites. To get rid of it after a mud bath, they rub their bodies on trees that have coarse bark. Anyone who sees a tree with white-gray, scraped or missing bark near a mud pit can assume that wild boars have been there.
Senses and Abilities
Sense of Sight
Wild boars have very small eyes. Their vision is so terrible that they can't even spot animals or people who are more than 32-50 feet (10-15 meters) away. However, the sense of sight isn't crucial to them because they are active at night. so they rely primarily on their sense of smell and hearing.
Sense of Smell
Wild boars have an exceptional sense of smell. It allows them to effortlessly find roots and tubers that are buried as deep as 10 inches (25 cm) underground.
Sense of Hearing
They also have an excellent sense of hearing. It allows them to detect threats early and helps communicating with fellow members of their group.
Swimming
Even if it is surprising for heavy, massive animals like wild boars: They're adept at swimming and can easily cover long distances in the water.
Speed
Wild boars are surprisingly fast runners. They reach a speed of 30 mph (48 km/h).
What to Do If You See a Wild Boar?
When wild boars feel cornered, they defend themselves using their sharp canine teeth. The mothers protect their babies fiercely and with determination, so be cautious as an attack on humans may happen if they approach too closely. When walking in the forest, people often wonder: How should I react if I come across a wild boar? Remember these key points:
- 1. Stay calm
- 2. No sudden moves
- 3. Don't run away
- 4. Don't get close
- 5. Speak to the animal using a calming voice
- 6. Slowly walk backwards and take a different path
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
Wolves are their main natural enemies. However, brown bears, lynxes and tigers also pose a threat. Piglets are sometimes preyed upon by foxes and eagle owls. The main focus of their defense strategy is to evade the situation by running away.
Importance for the Ecosystem
Think of wild boars as the forest's health police. For example, they prevent pests such as scarab beetles, cockchafers and pine-tree lappets from reproducing too quickly. By consuming voles, they also keep the numbers in balance. They also loosen the soil when searching for larvae and white grubs. As omnivores, they also feed on dead animals and thus ensure that diseases do not spread.
Reproduction
Mating Season
In Central Europe the mating season is from November to February. During this time, males fight against each other for the chance to mate with a female.
Gestation Period
Between March and May, after a gestation period of 114-118 days, 4-6 babies are born.
Piglets
• Growing Up
The mother takes care of them until they reach three months of age, after which they become self-reliant. However, they continue to stay near their mother for an additional one to three years.
• Appearance
Piglets have light brown fur with brown stripes running down their backs, making them look like brown watermelons! However, these stripes tend to fade away after three to four months. By the time they reach a year old, their fur settles into its permanent color.
Fun Facts
Peccary
The South American wild boars are called the peccary. „Peccary“ means “animal that makes many paths through the forest.” Although they're closely related to the European wild boar, they belong to a different pig family. They're not the same as the Razorback wild boars that came to America by ship at the beginning of the 20th century and became feral there.
Truffle Pig
In the past, wild boars were used to find truffles. Truffles are very valuable, tuberous mushrooms that grow underground. Now, dogs are employed to locate truffles as the animals were difficult to train and had a tendency to consume the truffles themselves.
Sniffer Pig
Between 1984 and 1987, the wild boar Luise supported the Lower Saxony (Germany) police in the search for drugs and explosives - like a sniffer dog.
The Wild Boar Is Related To:
- Deer Pig
- Red River Hog
- Warthog
