| Warthog | |
|---|---|
_male.jpg) | |
| Malecommon warthog Phacochoerus africanus Tswalu Kalahari Reserve,South Africa | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Tribe: | Phacochoerini |
| Genus: | Phacochoerus F. Cuvier, 1826 |
| Type species | |
| Aper aethiopicus[1] Pallas, 1766 | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
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Phacochoerus is a genus in the familySuidae, commonly known aswarthogs (pronouncedwart-hog). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, insub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly consideredconspecific under the scientific namePhacochoerus aethiopicus, but today this is limited to thedesert warthog, while the best-known and most widespread species, thecommon warthog (or simply warthog), isPhacochoerus africanus.[2]
Although covered in bristly hairs, a warthog's body and head appear largely bare, from a distance, with only a crest of hair along the back and the tufts on the face and tail being obvious. The English name "wart"-hog refers to their facialwattles, which are particularly distinct in males. The males also have very prominenttusks, which reach a length of 10 to 25 inches (25 to 64 centimetres); females' tusks are always smaller.[3] They are largelyherbivorous, but, like most suids, opportunistically eat invertebrates or small animals, even scavenging oncarrion.[4] While both species remain fairly common and widespread, and considered to be ofLeast Concern by theIUCN, thenominate subspecies of desert warthog, commonly known as theCape warthog (P. a. aethiopicus) wasextinct by around 1865.[5]
The genusPhacochoerus contains two species. The two species emerged from ecological barriers.[6]P. africanus were found with a lack of upper incisors, whileP. aethiopicus were found with a full set.[6]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common warthog
| Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin, 1788) Four subspecies
| Widespread in the savannah ofSub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia down to South Africa, absent from heavily forested or desert areas. | Size: A head-and-body length ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 m (2 ft 11 in to 4 ft 11 in), and shoulder height from 63.5 to 85 cm (25.0 to 33.5 in). Females, at 45 to 75 kg (99 to 165 lb), are smaller and lighter than males, at 60 to 150 kg (130 to 330 lb).[7] Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Desert warthog
| Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Pallas, 1766) | Northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. | Size: Average length of 125 centimetres (49 in) and weight of 75 kilograms (165 lb) with males being larger than females.[9] Habitat: Diet: | LC |
Media related toPhacochoerus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toPhacochoerus at WikispeciesAuthority control databases: National |
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