Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a species of pig Pigs are a genus of even-toed ungulates within the family Suidae. The name hog most commonly refers to the domestic pig in everyday parlance, but technically encompasses several distinct species, including the wild boar. Swine is a collective noun generally used to describe pigs as a group rather than an individual, however it may often be implied, including many subspecies Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or a taxonomic unit in that rank (plural: subspecies). A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one, and part of the biological family What does and does not belong to each family is determined by a taxonomist. Similarly for the question if a particular family should be recognized at all. Often there is no exact agreement, with different taxonomists each taking a different position. There are no hard rules that a taxonomist needs to follow in describing or recognizing a family Suidae Suidae is the biological family to which pigs and their relatives belong. Up to sixteen species are currently recognized, including the domestic pig Sus scrofa or S. domesticus. They are classified into between four and eight genera. In addition to numerous species of wild pig, the family includes the babirusa Babyrousa babyrussa and the warthog. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig The domestic pig, known in some areas as the hog, is a domesticated livestock animal, farmed for meat, an animal with which it freely hybridises.[2] Wild boar are native across much of Northern and Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. The term and widespread interest in the region itself came back into fashion after the end of the Cold War, which, along with the Iron Curtain, had divided Europe politically into East and West, splitting Central Europe in half, the Mediterranean Region The Mediterranean Basin comprises the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation (including North Africa's Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2,500 km (1,500 miles) through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is the Toubkal mountain, with an elevation of 4,167 metres (13,671 ft) in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the) and much of Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled as far south as Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With a population of around 230 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. Indonesia is a republic, with an. Populations have also been artificially introduced in some parts of the world, most notably the Americas The Americas, or America, are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America. The Americas cover 8.3% of the Earth's total and Australasia Australasia is a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes . He derived it from the Latin for "south of Asia" and differentiated the area from Polynesia (to the east) and the; principally for hunting. Elsewhere, populations have also become established after escapes of wild boar from captivity.[3]

Contents

Name

The term boar is used to denote an adult male of certain species — including, confusingly, domestic pigs. However, for wild boar, it applies to the whole species, including, for example, "wild boar sow" or "wild boar piglet".[4]

Wild boar are also known by various names, including wild hogs or simply boars. In America they are often referred to as razorbacks, pineywoods, rooters and European boars.[5]

Physical characteristics

Wild boar skeleton The skull The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and protects the brain from injury of a wild boar found at Lan Lo Au, Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China; the other is Macau. Situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million

The body of the wild boar is compact; the head is large, the legs relatively short. The fur Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensive body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal pelts which have been processed into leather consists of stiff bristles and usually finer fur. The colour usually varies from dark grey to black or brown, but there are great regional differences in colour; even whitish animals are known from central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.[6] During winter the fur is much denser.

Adult boars average 120–180 cm in length and have a shoulder height of 90 cm.[7] As a whole, their average weight is 50–90 kg kilograms (110–200 pounds), though boars show a great deal of weight variation within their geographical ranges.[8] In central Italy their weight usually ranges from 80 to 100 kg; boars shot in Tuscany Tuscany (Italian: Toscana, pronounced [tosˈkana]) is a region in Central Italy. It has an area of 22,990 square kilometres (8,880 sq mi) and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence have been recorded to weigh 150 kg (331 lb). A French specimen shot in Negremont forest in Ardenne The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and old mountains formed on the Givetian (Devonian) Ardennes mountains, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes département and the Champagne-Ardenne région), and geologically into the Eifel. In Wallonia, the word 'Ardenne' in in 1999 weighed 227 kg (550 lb). Carpathian The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly 1,500 km long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the largest mountain range in Europe. They provide the habitat for the largest European populations of brown bears, wolves, chamois and lynxes, with the highest concentration in Romania, as well as boars have been recorded to reach weights of 200 kg (441 lb), while Romanian Romania (pronounced /roʊˈmeɪniə/ roe-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Rumania, Lolmania; Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta and Russian Russia (pronounced /ˈrʌʃə/ ; Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈraʦəjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal boars can reach weights of 300 kg (661 lb).[7] Generally speaking, native Eurasian boars follow the Bergmann's rule In zoology, Bergmann's rule is an ecogeographic rule that correlates latitude with body mass in animals. Broadly it asserts that within a species the body mass increases with latitude and colder climate, or that within closely related species that differ only in relation to size that one would expect the larger species to be found at the higher, with smaller boars nearer the tropics and larger, smaller-eared boars in the North of their range.

The continuously growing tusks Tusks are unusually long teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors. Tusks are generally curved and pointed, though the narwhal's sole tusk is straight (the canine teeth) serve as weapons and tools. The lower tusks of an adult male measure about 20 cm (7.9 in) (from which seldom more than 10 cm (3.9 in) protrude out of the mouth), in exceptional cases even 30 cm (12 in). The upper tusks are bent upwards in males, and are regularly ground against the lower ones to produce sharp edges. In females they are smaller, and the upper tusks are only slightly bent upwards in older individuals.[citation needed]

Wild boar piglets are coloured differently from adults, being a soft[vague] brown with longitudinal darker stripes. The stripes fade by the time the piglet is about half-grown,[clarification needed] when the animal takes on the adult's grizzled grey or brown colour.

Litter size of wild boars may vary depending on their location. A study in the Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the Smokey Mountains, and the name is commonly shortened to National Park in the US reported a mean litter size of 3.3. A similar study on Santa Catalina Island, California Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is 22 miles long and eight miles (13 km) across at its greatest width. The island is located about 22 miles (35 km) south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is Mt reported a mean litter size of 5.[9] Larger litter sizes have been reported in Europe.[citation needed]

Behaviour/social structure

Young wild boar.

Adult males are usually solitary outside of the breeding season, but females and their offspring (both sub-adult males and females) live in groups called sounders. Sounders typically number around 20 animals, although groups of over 50 have been seen, and will consist of 2 to 3 sows; one of which will be the dominant female. Group structure changes with the coming and going of farrowing females, the migration of maturing males (usually when they reach around 20 months) and the arrival of unrelated sexually active males.

Wild boar are usually crepuscular Crepuscular is a term used to describe some animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight." Crepuscular is thus in contrast with diurnal and nocturnal behavior. Crepuscular animals may also be active on a bright moonlit night. Many, foraging from dusk until dawn but with resting periods during both night and day. They eat almost anything they come across, including grass Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges (Cyperaceae) and the rushes (Juncaceae). The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns (turf) and grassland, nuts Nut is a hard shelled fruit of some plants that has an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts. Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and wildlife, berries The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary, such as a grape. The seeds are usually embedded in the flesh of the ovary. A plant that bears berries is said to be bacciferous. Many species of plants produce fruit that are similar to berries but not actually berries, and these are said to be baccate, carrion Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include vultures, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons and burying beetles. Many invertebrates like the burrying beetles, as, roots In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating (growing up above the ground or especially above water). Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either (see rhizome). So, it is, tubers Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction. Two different groups of tubers are: stem tubers, and root tubers, refuse Waste is unwanted or unusable materials. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly, particularly waste which has been carelessly disposed of in plain sight, as opposed to waste which has been dumped to avoid paying for waste disposal fees, insects Insects are a class within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are among the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million described species and represent more than half of all known living, small reptiles Reptiles are animals in the class Reptilia characterized by breathing air, a "cold-blooded" (poikilothermic) metabolism, laying tough-shelled amniotic eggs (or retaining the same membrane system in species with live birth), and skin with scales or scutes. They are tetrapods (either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed. Wild boar are also known to predate on young deer and lambs Domestic sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over 1 billion, domestic sheep are the most. This has not been reported in the UK, but is a common problem in Australia.[10]

Boars are the only hoofed animals known to dig burrows.[citation needed]

If surprised or cornered, a boar (and particularly a sow with her piglets) can and will defend itself and its young with intense vigor.[citation needed] The male lowers its head, charges, and then slashes upward with his tusks. The female, whose tusks are not visible, charges with her head up, mouth wide, and bites. Such attacks are not often fatal to humans, but may result in severe trauma, dismemberment, or blood loss.

Reproduction

Piglets nursing

Sexual activity and testosterone production in males is triggered by decreasing day length, reaching a peak in mid-autumn. The normally solitary males then move into female groups and rival males fight for dominance, whereupon the largest and most dominant males achieve the most matings.

The age of puberty for sows ranges from 8 to 24 months of age depending on environmental and nutritional factors. Pregnancy lasts approximately 115 days and a sow will leave the group to construct a mound-like nest, 1–3 days before giving birth (farrowing).

The process of giving birth to a litter lasts between 2–3 hours and the sow and piglets remain in, or close to, the nest for 4–6 days. Sows rejoin the group after 4–5 days and the piglets will cross suckle between other lactating sows.

Litter size is typically 4-6 piglets but may be smaller for first litter, usually 2-3. The sex ratio at birth is 1:1. Piglets weigh between 750g - 1000g at birth. Rooting behaviour develops in piglets as early as the first few days of life and piglets are fully weaned after 3–4 months. They will begin to eat solid foods such as worms and grubs after about 2 weeks.[11]

Range

Reconstructed range

Reconstructed range of wild boar (green) and introduced populations (blue). Not shown are smaller introduced populations in South America South America is the southern continent of America, situated in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest, Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America, sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara. It contrasts with North Africa, which is considered a part of the Arab world and elsewhere.[1][12]

Wild boar were originally found in North Africa North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes seven countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, and and much of Eurasia Eurasia is a large landmass covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface (36.2% of the land area) located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. Often considered a single continent, Eurasia comprises the traditional continents of Europe and Asia (with Eurasia being a portmanteau of the two), concepts which date; from the British Isles 1 These are the official languages of the eight jurisdictions within the British Isles. Other languages are spoken, including several other native languages and dialects that have regional or special status to Korea Korea (Korean: 한국 "Hanguk" [ˌhanˈkuːk—]-South and North Korea, rsp. ) is a territory of East Asia that was formerly unified under one state, but now divided into two separate states and a region in northeastern Asia. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it is bordered by China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is and the Sunda Islands The territory of the islands is divided between the present-day countries of Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The northern limit of its range extended from southern Scandinavia Scandinavia is a region in northern Europe that includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Modern Norway and Sweden form the Scandinavian Peninsula. The name Scandinavia is considered to have the same etymology as Scania. Finland is sometimes considered a Scandinavian country in common English usage, and Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes also to southern Siberia Siberia , is a vast region, constituting almost all of Northern Asia and currently the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, as it was in the USSR from its beginning, and the Russian Empire since the 16th century and Japan Japan is an island state in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is. Within this range it was absent in extremely dry deserts and alpine Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. The climate becomes colder at high elevations—this characteristic is described by the lapse rate of air: air tends to get colder as it rises, since it expands. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is 10 °C per km of elevation or altitude. Therefore, moving up 100 meters on a zones.

A few centuries ago it was found in North Africa along the Nile The Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the second longest river in the world valley up to Khartum and north of the Sahara The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert. At over 9,400,000 square kilometres (3,630,000 sq mi), it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The only larger desert in the world is Antarctica. The Sahara Desert stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the. The reconstructed northern boundary of the range in Asia ran from Lake Ladoga (at 60°N) through the area of Novgorod and Moscow into the southern Ural, where it reached 52°N. From there the boundary passed Ishim and farther east the Irtysh at 56°N. In the eastern Baraba steppe (near Novosibirsk) the boundary turned steep south, encircled the Altai Mountains, and went again eastward including the Tannu-Ola Mountains and Lake Baikal. From here the boundary went slightly north of the Amur River eastward to its lower reaches at the China Sea. At Sachalin there are only fossil reports of wild boar. The southern boundaries in Europe and Asia were almost everywhere identical to the sea shores of these continents. In dry deserts and high mountain ranges, the wild boar is naturally absent. So it is absent in the dry regions of Mongolia from 44–46°N southward, in China westward of Sichuan and in India north of the Himalaya. In high altitudes of Pamir and Tien Shan they are also absent; however, at Tarim basin and on the lower slopes of the Tien Shan they do occur.[6]

Present range

In recent centuries, the range of wild boar has changed dramatically, largely due to hunting by humans and more recently because of captive wild boar escaping into the wild. For many years populations dwindled. They probably became extinct in Great Britain in the 13th century[13]. In Denmark the last boar was shot at the beginning of the 19th century, and in 1900 they were absent in Tunisia and Sudan and large areas of Germany, Austria and Italy. In Russia they were extinct in wide areas in the 1930s.

By contrast, during this period, a strong population of boar remained in France and Spain,[citation needed] despite being hunted for food and sport.

A revival of boar populations began in the middle of the last century. By 1950 wild boar had once again reached their original northern boundary in many parts of their Asiatic range. By 1960 they reached Saint Petersburg and Moscow, and by 1975 they were to be found in Archangelsk and Astrakhan. In the 1970s they again occurred in Denmark and Sweden, where captive animals escaped and now survive in the wild. (The wild boar population in Sweden was estimated to be around 80,000 in 2006 but is now considered to be in excess of 100,000). In the 1990s boar migrated into Tuscany in Italy. In England, wild boar populations re-established themselves in the 1990s, after escaping from specialist farms that had imported European stock.[13]

Elsewhere, in 1493, Christopher Columbus brought 8 hogs to the West Indies. Importation to the American mainland was in the mid 1500s by Hernan Cortes and Hernando de Soto, and in the mid 1600's by Sieur de La Salle. Pure Eurasian boar were also imported there for sport hunting in the early 1900s.[5] Sizeable populations of feral domestic pigs, closely related to wild boar, also live in Australia, New Zealand and North and South America.[14]

Status in Britain

Between their medieval extinction and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent, were present in Britain. Occasional escapes of wild boar from wildlife parks have occurred as early as the 1970s, but since the early 1990s significant populations have re-established themselves after escapes from farms; the number of which has increased as the demand for wild boar meat has grown.

A 1998 MAFF (now DEFRA) study on wild boar living wild in Britain confirmed the presence of two populations of wild boar living in Britain; one in Kent/East Sussex and another in Dorset.[13] These allegedly arose as a result of damage to fences during the 1987 hurricane.[citation needed]

Another DEFRA report, in February 2008,[15] confirmed the existence of these two sites as 'established breeding areas' and identified a third in Gloucestershire/Herefordshire; in the Forest of Dean/Ross on Wye area. A 'new breeding population' was also identified in Devon.

Populations estimates were;

In December 2005 animal rights activists released about 100 boar from a farm at West Anstey, in Devon. Although some were recaptured many of these remained at large with boar accompanied by young being sighted some miles from the point of release in the following year, especially on the fringes of Exmoor.[citation needed] Some of these were filmed by local wildlife cameraman Johnny Kingdom and featured on his BBC TV programmes. [citation needed] Some have estimated this population at about 200 animals by late 2009.[citation needed]

The Forest of Dean population originates from one escape of boar of Eastern European origin in 1997 from a farm near Weston under Penyard, and another apparently deliberate release near Staunton in 2004. [citation needed]. Until 2007 the two groups were separate but the likelihood is that they will soon meet up if they have not already done so.

Population estimates for the Forest of Dean are disputed, but in January 2010 the Forestry Commission estimated there were as many as 150 animals in the area.[16] A cull of 50 animals began in early 2010, with the aim of maintaining a population of around 100 animals.[17]

Two boar from the Forest of Dean population have qualified for Gold Medals under the Conseil International du Chasse (CIC) game trophy measurement system. The largest of these and the current UK record was shot near Ross on Wye in 2008 and scored 123.7 CIC points beating the previous record shot in the same area by 1.2 points. It had lower tusks of 23.9 cms and 23.1 cms in length and weighed about 240kgs.[citation needed]

There are also reports of wild boar from the Forest of Dean having crossed the River Wye into Monmouthshire, Wales.[18]. Many other sightings, across the UK, have also been reported.[19]

Wild boar farming in the UK

Captive wild boar in Britain are kept in private or public wildlife collections and in zoos, but exist predominantly on farms. Because wild boar are included in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, certain legal requirements have to be met prior to setting up a farm. A licence to keep boar is required from the local council, who will appoint a specialist to inspect the premises and report back to the council. Requirements include secure accommodation and fencing, correct drainage, temperature, lighting, hygiene, ventilation and insurance.

The original U.K. wild boar farm stock was mainly of French origin, but from 1987 onwards, farmers have supplemented the original stock with animals of both west European and east European origin. The east European animals were imported from farm stock in Sweden because Sweden, unlike eastern Europe, has a similar health status for pigs to that of Britain. Currently there is no central register listing all the wild boar farms in the UK, the total number of wild boar farms is unknown.[13]

Status in Germany

Recently, Germany has reported a surge in the wild boar population. According to one such study, "German wild boar litters have six to eight piglets on average, other countries usually only about four or five."[20]

Status in the United States

Main article: Razorback

Wild boar in the Americas are generally known as Razorbacks. As of 2008, the estimated population of 4 million boar caused an estimated US$800 million of property damage a year in the U.S.A[21]

Subspecies

A European wild boar piglet in the Netherlands

Different subspecies can usually be distinguished by the relative lengths and shapes of their lacrimal bones. S. scrofa cristatus and S. scrofa vittatus have shorter lacrimal bones than European subspecies.[22] Spanish and French boar specimens have 36 chromosomes, as opposed to wild boar in the rest of Europe which possess 38, the same number as domestic pigs. Boars with 36 chromosomes have successfully mated with animals possessing 38, resulting in fertile offspring with 37 chromosomes.[23]

Four subspecies groups are generally recognized:[24]

Western races (scrofa group)

Indian races (cristatus group)

Indian wild boar (Sus scrofa cristatus) at Ranthambore National Park

Eastern races (leucomystax group)

Sundaic race (vittatus group)

Domestic pig

The domestic pig is usually regarded as a further subspecies; Sus scrofa domestica - although sometimes classified as a separate species; Sus domestica.

Feral pigs

Feral pigs in the United States (here Cape Canaveral, Florida)

Domestic pigs quite readily become feral, and feral populations often revert to a similar appearance to wild boar; they can then be difficult to distinguish from natural or introduced true wild boar (with which they also readily interbreed). The characterization of populations as feral pig, escaped domestic pig or wild boar is usually decided by where the animals are encountered and what is known of their history. In New Zealand, for example, feral pigs are known as "Captain Cookers" from their supposed descent from liberations and gifts to Māori by explorer Captain James Cook in the 1770s.[28] New Zealand feral pigs are also frequently known as "tuskers", due to their appearance.

One characteristic by which domestic and feral animals are differentiated is their coats. Feral animals almost always have thick, bristly coats ranging in colour from brown through grey to black. A prominent ridge of hair matching the spine is also common, giving rise to the name razorback in the southern United States, where they are common. The tail is usually long and straight. Feral animals tend also to have longer legs than domestic breeds and a longer and narrower head and snout.

Wild boar/domestic pig hybrid, displayed at Rothschild Museum, Tring, England

A very large swine dubbed Hogzilla was shot in Georgia, USA in June 2004.[29] Initially thought to be a hoax, the story became something of an internet sensation. National Geographic Explorer investigated the story, sending scientists into the field. After exhuming the animal and performing DNA testing, it was determined that Hogzilla was a hybrid of wild boar and domestic swine.[30]

At the beginning of the 20th century, wild boar were introduced for hunting in the United States, where they interbred in parts with free roaming domestic pigs. In South America, New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia and other islands, wild boar have also been introduced by humans and have partially interbred with domestic pigs.

In South America, also during the early 20th century, free-ranging boars were introduced in Uruguay for hunting purposes and eventually crossed the border into Brazil sometime during the 1990s, quickly becoming an invasive species, licensed private hunting of both feral boars and hybrids (javaporcos) being allowed from August 2005 on in the Southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul,[31] although their presence as a pest had been already noticed by the press as early as 1994.[32] Releases and escapes from unlicensed farms (established because of increased demand for boar meat as an alternative to pork), however, continued to bolster feral populations and by mid-2008 licensed hunts had to be expanded to the states of Santa Catarina and São Paulo.[33]

Recently established Brazilian boar populations are not to be confused with long established populations of feral domestic pigs (porcos monteiros), which have existed mainly in the Pantanal for more than a hundred years, along with native peccaries. The demographic dynamics of the interaction between feral pigs populations and those of the two native species of peccaries (Collared Peccary and White-lipped Peccary) is obscure and is being studied presently. It has been proposed that the existence of feral pigs could somewhat ease jaguar predation on peccary populations, as jaguars would show a preference for hunting pigs, when these are available.[34]

As of 2008, the estimated population of 4 million feral hogs cause an estimated US$800 million of property damage a year in the U.S.[35]

Natural predators

Wild boar are a main food source for tigers in the regions where they coexist. Tigers typically follow boar groups, and pick them off one by one. Tigers have been noted to chase boars for longer distances than with other prey, though they will usually avoid tackling mature male boars. In many cases, boars have gored tigers to death in self defense.[36]

Wolves are also major predators of boars in some areas. Wolves mostly feed on piglets, though adults have been recorded to be taken in Italy, the Iberian Peninsula and Russia. Wolves rarely attack boars head on, preferring to tear at their perineum, causing loss of coordination and massive blood loss. In some areas of the former Soviet Union, a single wolf pack can consume an average of 50–80 wild boars annually.[37] In areas of Italy where the two animals are sympatric, the extent to which boars are preyed upon by wolves has led to them developing more aggressive behaviour toward both wolves and domestic dogs.[7]

Striped hyenas occasionally feed on boars, though it has been suggested that only hyenas from the three larger subspecies present in Northwest Africa, the Middle East and India can successfully kill them.[38]

Young piglets are important prey for several species, including large snakes, such as the reticulated python, large birds of prey and various wild felids. Adults, due to their size, strength and defensive aggression, are generally avoided as prey. However, they have been taken additionally by mature leopards; large bears (mainly brown bears); and mature crocodiles. All predators of boars are opportunistic and would take piglets given the opportunity. Where introduced outside of their natural range, boars may be at the top of the food chain, but are also sometimes taken by predators similar to those in their native Eurasia.[8]

Commercial use

Tyrolean style roasted wild boar

The hair of the boar was often used for the production of the toothbrush until the invention of synthetic materials in the 1930s.[39] The hair for the bristles usually came from the neck area of the boar. While such brushes were popular because the bristles were soft, this was not the best material for oral hygiene as the hairs were slow to dry and usually retained bacteria. Today's toothbrushes are made with plastic bristles.

Boar hair is used in the manufacture of boar-bristle hairbrushes, which are considered to be gentler on hair—and much more expensive—than common plastic-bristle hairbrushes. However, among shaving brushes, which are almost exclusively made with animal fibres, the cheaper models use boar bristles, while badger hair is used in much more expensive models.[40]

Boar hair is used in the manufacture of paintbrushes, especially those used for oil painting. Boar bristle paintbrushes are stiff enough to spread thick paint well, and the naturally split or "flagged" tip of the untrimmed bristle helps hold more paint.

Despite claims that boar bristles have been used in the manufacture of premium dart boards for use with steel-tipped darts, these boards are, in fact, made of other materials and fibres—the finest ones from sisal rope.

In many countries, boar are farmed for their meat, and in countries such as France and Italy, for example, boar (sanglier in French, "cinghiale" in Italian) may often be found for sale in butcher shops or offered in restaurants (although the consumption of wild boar meat has been linked to transmission of Hepatitis E in Japan).[41] In Germany, boar meat ranks among the highest priced types of meat and is as much part of high standard cuisine as venison.

Mythology, religion, history and fiction

Deity form of Varaha, Khajuraho, 12th C AD The hunt of the Calydonian Boar shown on a Roman frieze (Ashmolean Museum) The Norse boar Gullinbursti with the god Frey, 1901 painting by Johannes Gehrts A Roman Antefix roof tile showing the boar badge and standard of the Twentieth Legion

In Greek mythology, two boars are particularly well known. The Erymanthian Boar was hunted by Heracles as one of his Twelve Labours, and the Calydonian Boar was hunted in the Calydonian Hunt by dozens of other mythological heroes, including some of the Argonauts and the huntress Atalanta. Ares, the Greek god of war, had the ability to transform himself into a wild boar, and even gored his son to death in this form to prevent the young man from growing too attractive and stealing his wife.[citation needed]

In Celtic mythology the boar was sacred to the Gallic goddess Arduinna,[42][43] and boar hunting features in several stories of Celtic and Irish mythology. One such story is that of how Fionn mac Cumhaill ("Finn McCool") lured his rival Diarmuid Ua Duibhne to his death—gored by a wild boar.

In the Asterix comic series set in Gaul, wild boar are the favourite food of Obelix whose immense appetite means that he can eat several roasted boar in a single sitting.

The Norse gods Freyr and Freyja both had boars. Freyr's boar was named Gullinbursti ("Golden Mane"), who was manufactured by the dwarf Sindri due to a bet between Sindri's brother Brokkr and Loki. The bristles in Gullinbursti's mane glowed in the dark to illuminate the way for his owner. Freya rode the boar Hildesvini (Battle Swine) when she was not using her cat-drawn chariot. According to the poem Hyndluljóð, Freyja concealed the identity of her protégé Óttar by turning him into a boar. In Norse mythology, the boar was generally associated with fertility.[citation needed]

In Persia (Iran) during the Sassanid Empire, boars were respected as fierce and brave creatures, and the adjective "Boraz (Goraz)" (meaning boar) was sometimes added to a person's name to show his bravery and courage. The famous Sassanid spahbod, Shahrbaraz, who conquered Egypt and the Levant, had his name derived Shahr(city) + Baraz(boar like/brave) meaning "Boar of the City".[citation needed]

In Hindu mythology, the third avatar of the Lord Vishnu was Varaha, a boar.

In Chinese horoscope the boar (sometimes also translated as pig), is one of the twelve animals of the zodiac, based on the legends about its creation, either involving Buddha or the Jade Emperor.[citation needed]

At least three Roman Legions are known to have had a boar as their emblems: Legio I Italica, Legio X Fretensis and Legio XX Valeria Victrix. X Fretensis was centrally involved in the First Jewish–Roman War, culminating with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple in 70 AD. In addition, it was stationed in Roman-occupied Judea for centuries and was involved in numerous other acts of oppression against the Jews. By one theory, resentment of this Legion's boar emblem, which came to be identified with extreme destruction and persecution, partly accounts for the deep-rooted traditional Jewish aversion for pork. (The Bible does not single out pigs in comparison with the many other unclean animals whose flesh is forbidden; nevertheless, in actual Jewish culture pigs are clearly singled out for a special, highly emotional loathing, of a kind not directed at other unclean animals).[44]

A boar is a long-standing symbol of the city of Milan, Italy. In Andrea Alciato's Emblemata (1584), beneath a woodcut of the first raising of Milan's city walls, a boar is seen lifted from the excavation. The foundation of Milan is credited to two Celtic peoples, the Bituriges and the Aedui, having as their emblems a ram and a boar respectively;[45] therefore "The city's symbol is a wool-bearing boar, an animal of double form, here with sharp bristles, there with sleek wool."[46] Alciato credits the most saintly and learned Ambrose for his account.[47]

In Medieval hunting the boar, like the hart, was a 'beast of venery', the most prestigious form of quarry. It was normally hunted by being harboured, or found by a 'limer', or bloodhound handled on a leash, before the pack of hounds were released to pursue it on its hot scent. In The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight[48] a boar hunt is described, which depicts how dangerous the boar could be to the pack hounds, or raches, which hunted it.[49]

A story from Nevers, which is reproduced in the Golden Legend, states that one night Charlemagne dreamed he was about to be killed by a wild boar during a hunt, but was saved by the appearance of a child, who had promised to save the emperor if he would give him clothes to cover his nakedness. The bishop of Nevers interpreted this dream to mean that the child was Saint Cyricus and that he wanted the emperor to repair the roof of the Cathédrale Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte de Nevers - which Charlemagne duly did.

The ancient Lowland Scottish Clan Swinton is said to have to have acquired the name Swinton for their bravery and clearing their area of Wild Boar. The chief's coat of arms and the clan crest allude to this legend, as is the name of the village of Swinewood in the county of Berwick which was granted to them in the Eleventh Century.

Richard III (r. 1483–1485) used the white boar as his personal heraldic device and symbol. It was also passed to his short-lived son, Edward.

Folklore, in the Forest of Dean, England, tells of a giant boar, known as the Beast of Dean, which terrorised villagers in the early 19th century.

Coat of Arms of Sauerlach, Germany

Heraldry and other symbolic use

Main article: Boars in heraldry

The wild boar and a boar's head are common charges in heraldry. It represents what are often seen as the positive qualities of the boar, namely courage and fierceness in battle. The arms of the Campbell of Possil family (see Carter-Campbell of Possil) include the head, erect and erased of a wild boar. The arms of the Swinton Family also possess wild boar, as does the coat of arms of the Purcell family [1]

See also

Wikinews has related news: Saskatchewan places moratorium on boar farming, says escaped boars should be killed

References

  1. ^ a b Oliver, W. & Leus, K. (2008). Sus scrofa. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
  2. ^ Seward, Liz (4 September 2007). "Pig DNA reveals farming history". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6978203.stm. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  3. ^ http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/specialarticles/mam1_xx.pdf
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  5. ^ a b http://www.suwanneeriverranch.com/wild-boar.htm
  6. ^ a b V. G. Heptner and A. A. Sludskii: Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol. II, Part 2 Carnivora (Hyaenas and Cats). Leiden, New York, 1989 ISBN 900408876 8
  7. ^ a b c d e f g (Italian)Scheggi, Massimo (1999). La Bestia Nera: Caccia al Cinghiale fra Mito, Storia e Attualità. p. 201. ISBN 8825379048.
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  10. ^ http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/wild%20boar%20action%20plan.pdf
  11. ^ http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/profile.html
  12. ^ a b c d Kingdon, J. (1997). The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited. ISBN 0-12-408355-2
  13. ^ a b c d http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/britain.htm
  14. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/598.shtml
  15. ^ http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2008/080219b.htm
  16. ^ "Wild boar cull is given go ahead". BBC News. 2010-01-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/8439997.stm.
  17. ^ http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/gloucestershireheadlines/Wild-boar-culled/article-1667370-detail/article.html
  18. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/species/mammals/wild_boar.shtml
  19. ^ http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/
  20. ^ "Numbers of wild boars surge | Oddly Enough". Reuters. 2008-10-03. http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4927U020081003. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  21. ^ Brick, Michael (2008-06-21). "Bacon a Hard Way: Hog-Tying 400 Pounds of Fury". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/sports/othersports/21hogs.html?hp.
  22. ^ Clutton-Brock, Juliet (1987). A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals. p. 208. ISBN 0521346975.
  23. ^ "Wild boar profile". Britishwildboar.org.uk. http://www.britishwildboar.org.uk/profile.html. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
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  26. ^ a b Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon, by Robert A. Sterndale
  27. ^ Francis, C. M. (2008). A Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-13551-9
  28. ^ Horwitz, Tony (2003). Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before. Picador. p. 127. ISBN 0312422601.
  29. ^ Dewan, Shaila (2005-03-19). "DNA tests to reveal if possible record-size boar is a pig in a poke". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/19/MNGNRBS0E71.DTL. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
  30. ^ "The Mystery of Hogzilla Solved". ABC News. 2005-03-21. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Technology/story?id=599913. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
  31. ^ "www.institutohorus.org.br/download/marcos_legais/INSTRUCAO_NORMATIVA_N_71_04_agosto_2005.pdf" (PDF). http://www.institutohorus.org.br/download/marcos_legais/INSTRUCAO_NORMATIVA_N_71_04_agosto_2005.pdf.
  32. ^ "Javali: fronteiras rompidas" ("Boars break across the border") Globo Rural 9:99, January 1994, ISSN 0102-6178, pgs.32/35
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  36. ^ V.G Heptner & A.A. Sludskii. Mammals of the Soviet Union, Volume II, Part 2. ISBN 9004088768.
  37. ^ Graves, Will (2007). Wolves in Russia: Anxiety throughout the ages. p. 222. ISBN 1550593323.
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  39. ^ "Dental Encyclopedia". 1800dentist.com. http://1800dentist.com/encyclopedia/default.aspx?ContentID=205. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  40. ^ "Brush with Greatness". MenEssentials. http://www.menessentials.com/oxid.php/sid/x/shp/oxbaseshop/cl/info/tpl/shave_brush.tpl. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  41. ^ Li T-C, Chijiwa K, Sera N, Ishibashi T, Etoh Y, Shinohara Y, et al. (2005). "Hepatitis E Virus Transmission from Wild Boar Meat". Emerg Infect Dis. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol11no12/05-1041.htm.
  42. ^ "Celtic Encyclopaedia". Isle-of-skye.org.uk. http://www.isle-of-skye.org.uk/celtic-encyclopaedia/celt_b2b.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
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  44. ^ For example Berl Katznelson, a major ideologue of Socialist Zionism and not a religious person himself, spoke out very vehemently against the eating of pork and called for it to be forbidden in the future Jewish state—which was not his position about other kinds of meat forbidden by the Jewish religion
  45. ^ Bituricis vervex, Heduis dat sucula signum.
  46. ^ Laniger huic signum sus est, animálque biforme, Acribus hinc setis, lanitio inde levi.
  47. ^ "Alciato, ''Emblemata'', Emblema II". Emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk. http://www.emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk/french/emblem.php?id=FALc002. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  48. ^ Anonymous (c1350). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/AnoGawa.html.
  49. ^ The Meaning and Symbolism of the Hunting Scenes in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sus scrofa
Wikispecies has information related to: Sus scrofa
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article boar.
Extant Artiodactyla species
Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Suborder Ruminantia
Antilocapridae
Antilocapra Pronghorn (A. americana)
Giraffidae
Okapia Okapi (O. johnstoni)
Giraffa Giraffe (G. camelopardalis)
Moschidae
Moschus Himalayan Musk Deer (M. chrysogaster) · Siberian Musk Deer (M. moschiferus) · Dwarf Musk Deer (M. berezovskii) · Black Musk Deer (M. fuscus)
Tragulidae
Hyemoschus Water Chevrotain (H. aquaticus)
Moschiola Indian Spotted Chevrotain (M. meminna) · M. kathygre
Tragulus Java Mouse-deer (T. javanicus) · Lesser Mouse-deer (T. kanchil) · Greater Mouse-deer (T. napu) · Philippine Mouse-deer (T. nigricans) · Vietnam Mouse-deer (T. versicolor) · Williamson's Mouse-deer (T. williamsoni)
Cervidae Large family listed below
Bovidae Large family listed below
Family Cervidae
Muntiacinae
Muntiacus Indian Muntjac (M. muntjak) · Reeves's Muntjac (M. reevesi) · Hairy-fronted Muntjac (M. crinifrons) · Fea's Muntjac (M. feae) · Bornean Yellow Muntjac (M. atherodes) · Roosevelt's muntjac (M. rooseveltorum) · Gongshan muntjac (M. gongshanensis) · Giant Muntjac (M. vuquangensis) · Truong Son Muntjac (M. truongsonensis) · Leaf muntjac (M. putaoensis)
Elaphodus Tufted deer (E. cephalophus)
Cervinae
Cervus Red Deer (C. elaphus) · Elk (C. canadensis) · Thorold's deer (C. albirostris) · Sika Deer (C. nippon) · Barasingha (C. duvaucelii) · Eld's Deer (C. eldii) · Sambar Deer (C. unicolor) · Rusa Deer (C. timorensis) · Philippine Sambar (C. mariannus) · Philippine Spotted Deer (C. alfredi)
Axis Chital (A. axis) · Hog deer (A. porcinus) · Calamian Deer (A. calamianensis) · Bawean Deer (A. kuhlii)
Elaphurus Père David's Deer (E. davidianus)
Dama Fallow Deer (D. dama) · Persian fallow deer (D. mesopotamica)
Hydropotinae
Hydropotes Water deer (H. inermis)
Capreolinae
Odocoileus White-tailed deer (O. virginianus) · Mule deer (O. hemionus)
Blastocerus Marsh Deer (B. dichotomus)
Ozotoceros Pampas deer (O. bezoarticus)
Mazama Red Brocket (M. americana) · Small Red Brocket (M. bororo) · Merida Brocket (M. bricenii) · Dwarf Brocket (M. chunyi) · Gray Brocket (M. gouazoubira) · Pygmy Brocket (M. nana) · Fair Brocket (M. ochroleuca) · Yucatan Brown Brocket (M. pandora) · Little Red Brocket (M. rufina) · Central American Red Brocket (M. temama)
Pudu Northern Pudu (P. mephistophiles) · Pudú (P. pudu)
Hippocamelus Taruca (H. antisensis) · South Andean Deer (H. bisulcus)
Capreolus Roe Deer (C. capreolus) · Siberian Roe Deer (C. pygargus)
Rangifer Reindeer (R. tarandus)
Alces Moose (A. alces)
Family Bovidae
Cephalophinae
Cephalophus Abbott's Duiker (C. spadix) · Aders' Duiker (C. adersi) · Bay Duiker (C. dorsalis) · Black Duiker (C. niger) · Black-fronted Duiker (C. nigrifrons) · Blue Duiker (C. monticola) · Harvey's Duiker (C. harveyi) · Jentink's Duiker (C. jentinki) · Maxwell's Duiker (C. maxwellii) · Red Forest Duiker (C. natalensis) · Ogilby's Duiker (C. ogilbyi) · Peters's Duiker (C. callipygus) · Red-flanked Duiker (C. rufilatus) · Ruwenzori Duiker (C. rubidis) · Weyns's Duiker (C. weynsi) · White-bellied Duiker (C. leucogaster) · Yellow-backed Duiker (C. Sylvicultor) · Zebra Duiker (C. zebra)
Sylvicapra Common Duiker (S. grimmia)
Hippotraginae
Hippotragus Roan Antelope (H. equinus) · Sable Antelope (H. niger)
Oryx East African Oryx (O. beisa) · Scimitar Oryx (O. dammah) · Gemsbok (O. gazella) · Arabian Oryx (O. leucoryx)
Addax Addax (A. nasomaculatus)
Reduncinae
Kobus Upemba Lechwe (K. anselli) · Waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus) · Kob (K. kob) · Lechwe (K. leche) · Nile Lechwe (K. megaceros) · Puku (K. vardonii)
Redunca Southern Reedbuck (R. arundinum) · Mountain Reedbuck (R. fulvorufula) · Bohor Reedbuck (R. redunca)
Aepycerotinae
Aepyceros Impala (A. melampus)
Peleinae
Pelea Grey Rhebok (P. capreolus)
Alcelaphinae
Beatragus Hirola (B. hunteri)
Damaliscus Korrigum (D. korrigum) · Common Tsessebe (D. lunatus) · Bontebok (D. pygargus) · Bangweulu Tsessebe (D. superstes)
Alcelaphus Hartebeest (A. buselaphus) · Red Hartebeest (A. caama) · Lichtenstein's Hartebeest (A. lichtensteinii)
Connochaetes Black Wildebeest (C. gnou) · Blue Wildebeest (C. taurinus)
Pantholopinae
Pantholops Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii)
Caprinae Large subfamily listed below
Bovinae Large subfamily listed below
Antilopinae Large subfamily listed below
Family Bovidae (subfamily Caprinae)
Ammotragus Barbary Sheep (A. lervia)
Budorcas Takin (B. taxicolor)
Capra Wild goat (C. aegagrus) · West Caucasian Tur (C. caucasia) · East Caucasian Tur (C. cylindricornis) · Markhor (C. falconeri) · Alpine Ibex (C. ibex) · Nubian Ibex (C. nubiana) · Spanish Ibex (C. pyrenaica) · Siberian Ibex (C. sibirica) · Walia Ibex (C. walie)
Hemitragus Nilgiri Tahr (H. hylocrius) · Arabian Tahr (H. jayakari) · Himalayan Tahr (H. jemlahicus)
Naemorhedus Red Goral (N. baileyi) · Japanese Serow (N. crispus) · Long-tailed Goral (N. caudatus) · Gray Goral (N. goral) · Mainland Serow (N. sumatraensis) · Taiwan Serow (N. swinhoei)
Oreamnos Mountain goat (O. americanus)
Ovibos Muskox (O. moschatus)
Ovis Argali (O. ammon) · Domestic sheep (O. aries) · Bighorn Sheep (O. canadensis) · Dall Sheep (O. dalli) · Mouflon (O. musimon) · Snow sheep (O. nivicola) · Urial (O. orientalis)
Pseudois Bharal (P. nayaur) · Dwarf Blue Sheep (P. schaeferi)
Rupicapra Pyrenean Chamois (R. pyrenaica) · Chamois (R. rupicapra)
Family Bovidae (subfamily Bovinae)
Boselaphini
Tetracerus Four-horned Antelope (T. quadricornis)
Boselaphus Nilgai (B. tragocamelus)
Bovini
Bubalus Water Buffalo (B. bubalus) · Lowland Anoa (B. depressicornis) · Mountain Anoa (B. quarlesi) · Tamaraw (B. mindorensis)
Bos Banteng (B. javanicus) · Gaur (B. gaurus) · Yak (B. mutus) · Cattle (B. taurus) · Kouprey (B. sauveli)
Pseudonovibos Kting Voar (P. spiralis)
Pseudoryx Saola (P. nghetinhensis)
Syncerus African Buffalo (S. caffer)
Bison American Bison (B. bison) · Wisent (B. bonasus)
Strepsicerotini
Tragelaphus Sitatunga (T. spekeii) · Nyala (T. angasii) · Bushbuck (T. scriptus) · Mountain Nyala (T. buxtoni) · Lesser Kudu (T. imberbis) · Greater Kudu (T. strepsiceros) · Bongo (T. eurycerus)
Taurotragus Common Eland (T. oryx) · Giant Eland (T. derbianus)
Family Bovidae (subfamily Antilopinae)
Antilopini
Ammodorcas Dibatag (A. clarkei)
Antidorcas Springbok (A. marsupialis)
Antilope Blackbuck (A. cervicapra)
Gazella Mountain Gazelle (G. gazella) · Neumann's Gazelle (G. erlangeri) · Speke's Gazelle (G. spekei) · Dorcas Gazelle (G. dorcas) · Saudi Gazelle (G. saudiya) · Chinkara (G. bennettii) · Thomson's Gazelle (G. thomsonii) · Red-fronted Gazelle (G. rufifrons) · Dama Gazelle (G. dama) · Grant's Gazelle (G. granti) · Soemmerring's Gazelle (G. soemmerringii) · Cuvier's Gazelle (G. cuvieri) · Rhim Gazelle (G. leptoceros) · Goitered Gazelle (G. subgutturosa)
Litocranius Gerenuk (L. walleri)
Procapra Mongolian gazelle (P. gutturosa) · Goa (P. picticaudata) · Przewalski's Gazelle (P. przewalskii)
Saigini
Pantholops Tibetan antelope (P. hodgsonii)
Saiga Saiga Antelope (S. tatarica)
Neotragini
Dorcatragus Beira (D. megalotis)
Madoqua Günther's Dik-dik (M. guentheri) · Kirk's Dik-dik (M. kirkii) · Silver Dik-dik (M. piacentinii) · Salt's Dik-dik (M. saltiana)
Neotragus Bates's Pygmy Antelope (N. batesi) · Suni (N. moschatus) · Royal Antelope (N. pygmaeus)
Oreotragus Klipspringer (O. oreotragus)
Ourebia Oribi (O. ourebi)
Raphicerus Steenbok (R. campestris) · Cape Grysbok (R. melanotis) · Sharpe's Grysbok (R. sharpei)
Suborder Suina
Suidae
Babyrousa Buru Babirusa (B. babyrussa) · North Sulawesi Babirusa (B. celebensis) · Togian Babirusa (B. togeanensis)
Hylochoerus Giant forest hog (H. meinertzhageni)
Phacochoerus Desert Warthog (P. aethiopicus) · Warthog (P. africanus)
Porcula Pygmy Hog (P. salvania)
Potamochoerus Bushpig (P. larvatus) · Red River Hog (P. porcus)
Sus Palawan Bearded Pig (S. ahoenobarbus) · Bearded Pig (S. barbatus) · Indo-chinese Warty Pig (S. bucculentus) · Visayan Warty Pig (S. cebifrons) · Celebes Warty Pig (S. celebensis) · Flores Warty Pig (S. heureni) · Oliver's Warty Pig (S. oliveri) · Philippine Warty Pig (S. philippensis) · Boar (S. scrofa) · Timor Warty Pig (S. timoriensis) · Javan Pig (S. verrucosus)
Tayassuidae
Tayassu White-lipped Peccary (T. pecari)
Catagonus Chacoan Peccary (C. wagneri)
Pecari Collared Peccary (P. tajacu) · Giant Peccary (P. maximus)
Suborder Tylopoda
Camelidae
Lama Llama (L. glama) · Guanaco (L. guanicoe)
Vicugna Vicuña (V. vicugna) · Alpaca (V. pacos)
Camelus Dromedary (C. dromedarius) · Bactrian Camel (C. bactrianus)
Cetartiodactyla (unranked clade, higher than Artiodactyla)
Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus Hippopotamus (H. amphibius)
Choeropsis Pygmy Hippopotamus (C. liberiensis)
Heraldic creatures
Beasts Bear · Boar · Bull · Dog · Camelopard · Hind · Kangaroo · Lion · Ox · Stag · Tiger · Wolf
Birds Cock · Dove · Eagle · Pelican · Rook
Legendary Creatures Alce · Basilisk · Biscione · Cockatrice · Dragon · Enfield beast · Griffin · Keythong · Lindworm · Manticore · Martlet · Opinicus · Phoenix · Salamander · Turul · Unicorn · Wyvern
Fish Dolphinfish · Ged · Lucy · Scallop
Others Bat · Bee · Crapaudy · Emmet · Serpent

Categories: IUCN Red List least concern species | Pigs | Megafauna of Eurasia | Mammals of Bangladesh | Mammals of Pakistan | Fauna of Iran | Mammals of Sri Lanka | Mammals of Italy | Mammals of Great Britain

 

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'Boar' News
Outstanding Contributors Honored at Reception Today - University of Virginia
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Outstanding Contributors Honored at Reception Today

University of Virginia

Employees with 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55 years of service will be honored at a banquet on June 3 at the Boar's Head Inn. Each year, U.Va. ...
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'Boar' Blogs
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hu, 15 Jul 2010 19:41:00 GM

Black . Boar. Blogger. Welcome to the Black . Boar. Blog, news and information from the world of David Hitchcock. Thursday, July 15, 2010. Greetings gang. Just finished a cover for a short story which I illustrated earlier this year. ...

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'Boar' Answers
What to do for a friend who resembles a wild boar?
Q. I have a friend who literally looks like a wild boar. He is a nice guy, real down to earth guy. The thing is, he looks like a wild boar and so he can not get a good lady to be his girlfriend. So he has settled for a straight up 305. Is that the best he can do? Poor guy, I feel real sad that nature played this evil trick on him.
Asked by Tracey's Ball 'N Chain - Sat Dec 20 14:09:24 2008 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Kevlar vest and keep her away from the woods ?
Answered by Ryde on - Sat Dec 20 14:17:01 2008

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