The Warthog is the most famous wild African pig. Despite the fact that this animal belongs to the family of pigs, it is different from them. Here are some interesting facts related to the warthog.
Despite the fact that warthogs, like all pigs, are omnivorous and try to diversify their menu with fruits, roots and even food of animal origin: eggs, carrion, insect larvae; They can not live without grass, which is the basis of the ration of these animals.
The first warthogs in zoos tried to feed like wild boars and other relatives, but wild African pigs from such food died very quickly. When the ration was revised and a fair amount of grass was added to it, the warthogs began to feel so much better that they began to breed in captivity.
The careful attitude of warthogs to relatives is manifested even during the rut, when males make fights for the right to own a female. It is worth noting that this wild African pig has a very powerful weapon that allows it to cope even with a lion – these are sharp razor-sharp fangs. On average, the length of the canines of an adult warthog is 30 cm, but individuals with sixty centimeters of arms are known to science. So, males of a warthog never use their powerful weapons when clarifying relations with their relatives. They are beating their foreheads like sheep.
Warthogs are unique in that they live in burrows. Very often, as a starting material for their home, they use the burrows of other animals: pipe-cubs or porcupines. They get into their dwelling warthogs on their knees, backing behind, and sleep in them, sticking their muzzle out. The burrows of these wild animals are quite large – the average length of the burrow hole is 3 meters. By the way, the apartments have more females than males, because they must also contain the offspring.
The average speed that an adult warthog can develop is 50 km / h. This, perhaps, is the best figure in the squad of pigs. True, for a long time with such speed the warthog can not run. Its goal is to get to your hole or the nearest thick bush.
By the way, when the warthog runs, its tail soars up and freezes in an upright position, like an antenna, so a herd of wild wild African pigs is a very amusing sight.
