Mammals · Artiodactyla · Suidae

Wild Boar

Sus domesticus

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The domestic pig is an ungulate of the pig family, domesticated from the wild boar (Sus scrofa) some 9,000 years ago independently in Anatolia and in China. It is omnivorous, highly intelligent and has an extraordinary sense of smell. With more than a billion head recorded it is one of the most abundant mammals on the planet and the world's main source of meat. There are hundreds of breeds, from the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig to meat breeds weighing more than 300 kg.

Weight

50 kg – 350 kg

Size

90 cm – 1.8 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

GrasslandOmnivore Diurnal In herds Grassland Mammal

6same family

Fun facts

Its gestation lasts, by the stockman's classic rule, three months, three weeks and three days: about 114 days.
It has hardly any functional sweat glands, which is why it wallows in mud to cool down and to protect itself from the sun and from parasites.
It was domesticated at least twice, separately, from the wild boar, Sus scrofa: once in Anatolia and once in China, some 9,000 years ago.
Today's European pigs are a striking case of genetic replacement: the first ones arrived from the Near East with the Neolithic farmers, but they then interbred so much with European wild boar that their original genetic signature almost disappeared.
Its gestation follows the stockman's classic rule: three months, three weeks and three days — about 114 days.
It is a true omnivore, not an adapted herbivore, and that dietary flexibility is what made it compatible with human settlements from the very beginning.
It has an exceptional sense of smell, which is put to use finding truffles.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Farms, livestock holdings and feral populations worldwide
Sexual maturity: 6 months
Gestation / incubation: 114 days
Litter / clutch size: 10
Lifespan in captivity: 20

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/