The Mighty
lazy wart hog
Wart Hog

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phacochoerus aethiopicus
LENGTH: 57-75; Height at shoulders 26-33"; Weight 110-331 lbs
RANGE: Most of Africa; greatest concentration in east and south
HABITAT: Usually savanna, open grasslands, and light forests
DIET: Omnivore. Feed on grass, roots, berries
LIFE SPAN: 10 to 15 years
{short description of image}ANATOMY: The warts, which are prominent only on the males, are skin growths and have no bony support or core. They protect the face from tusks when the males fight. Both sexes bear tusks, attaining a length of 2 feet in some males. All the chewing is finally done with the last molar in each jaw, which grows so long that it almost covers the entire jawbone. Often while feeding,warthogs will drop down on their knees, which are equipped with thick, horny pads for cushioning. This unusual behavior is dictated by the combination of their short neck and relatively long legs, which makes feeding while standing uncomfortable.
African Warthogs drinking
Photo from Africam
SENSES: Smell and hearing are acute; eyesight seems poor.Although the warthogs must lower their heads while grazing, they are able to see over a much larger
area since their eyes are higher and further backin the head than any other species of pigs
This enables them to look over the grass.
COMMUNICATION: They usually grunt
when rooting about but are otherwise silent.
LOCOMOTION:
When confronted by danger, they prefer to flee at speeds up to 30 mph, carrying their 18" tail erect over their backs.
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HABITS and ACTIVITY PERIOD: Non-territorial, with a home range of about 0.4 to 1.0 miles. Warthogs rely on abandoned holes of aardvark and porcupines to sleep, rear their young, and take refuge from predators. They enlarge hole to suit themselves.When entering the hole, a warthog always backs in so that any predator who might try to enter will be confronted by the owner's formidable tusks.Usually diurnal, except in areas where they are molested, where they have become almost nocturnal.
Photo of wild warthog from Africam
SOCIAL UNITS and REPRODUCTION:
Travel about singly, in pairs, or small "sounders," consisting of family parties of one or two sows accompanied by their latest offspring. The boars frequently travel alone.
Litters of 2-4 are born October-November. The gestation period is 171-172 days. The young stay with their mother for about one year before leaving her. The females are able to reproduce by the age of one year.
ENEMIES and DEFENSE:Main enemies are lions, leopards, and wild dogs.Prefer to flee, but if cornered, warthogs can defend themselves ferociously, utilizing their smaller but sharper lower tusks to slash at an enemy.