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Bushpig

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                     iBushpig

                             Conservation status

   Least concern (LR/lc)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Artiodactyla
   Family:  Suidae
   Genus:   Potamochoerus
   Species: P. larvatus

                                Binomial name

   Potamochoerus larvatus
   ( Cuvier, 1822)

   The Bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus) is a very hairy member of the pig
   family that lives in forest thickets, riverine vegetation and reedbeds
   close to water in Africa. They are mainly nocturnal and are seldom seen
   during the day.

   They range in size from 60 to 85cm (24 – 33 in.) at the shoulder and 46
   to 82kg (101-180 lbs) in weight.

   The Bushpig resembles the domestic pig and is identified by the blunt,
   muscular snout, small eyes, and pointed, tufted ears. Their colour
   varies from reddish-brown to dark brown and becomes darker with age.
   Both sexes have a lighter coloured mane which bristles when the animal
   becomes agitated. The upper parts of the face and ears are also lighter
   in colour. Sharp tusks are not very long and are not conspicuous.
   Unlike the Warthog, the Bushpig runs with its tail down. Males are
   normally larger than females.

   Bushpigs are quite social animals and are found in sounders of up to 12
   members. A typical group will consist of a dominant male and a dominant
   female, with other females and juveniles accounting for the rest.
   Litters of 3-4 young are born in summer after a gestation period of ± 4
   months. Bushpigs can be very aggressive, especially when they have
   young.

   They are Omnivorous and their diet could include roots, crops, carrion,
   as well as newborn lambs. They grunt softly while foraging and make a
   long, resonant growl as an alarm call.

   Still distributed over a relatively wide natural range, the bushpig
   occurs from Somalia to eastern and southern former Zaire and southwards
   to Cape Province and Natal in South Africa (Oliver, 1993), having
   probably been introduced on Madagascar, Comoro and Mayotte Islands
   (Wilson & Reeder, 1993).

   The word 'Bushpig' may also be used to describe a very unattractive
   female, particualy in Australia. E.g. "She's a bloody bushpig"
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushpig"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
