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Desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus)

“Desert Warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus” by Nik Borrow, CC BY-NC 2.0

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Wandering with the Warthog

Perhaps most famously known for their role in the US animated film The Lion King, the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a species of warthog endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Its sister species, the desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is limited to the Horn of Africa’s deserts. Both live in arid scrublands and woodlands; the common warthog also thrive in savannahs, and are the only pig to do so. Both species are also omnivorous, feeding on grass and shrubs, roots, insects, and carrion. They, in turn, are prey for lions, leopards, and cheetahs.

Members of the warthog genus are highly social. Females and their young live in groups called “sounders”, which travel around a home range guarded by a solitary male. Often females bond, raising their young together and sometimes mounting each other while in heat. These bonds can extend to protecting each other from predators and even potential male mates. Males can also form social bonds, although they tend to remain solitary outside the breeding season.

Rutting begins at the end of the rainy season, around June, and continues until the end of the dry season in November or December. During the rut, male boars will seek out female burrows and defend them against other boars. However, typically only the duller upper tusks are used for fighting; the sharper lower ones are saved for predators. Both males and females mate with multiple partners, and males provide no parental care, leaving soon after. Gestation lasts for about 5-6 months, after which females give birth in a burrow separate from the rest of the group. Litters for the common warthog can be as large as 8 piglets, while desert warthogs give birth to only 2 or 3. However, mothers in both species have been observed “allosucking“, or allowing piglets other than their own children to suckle. Piglets take about 6 months to fully wean, although they stay close to their mother until they are fully grown at about 2 years old. Warthogs can live anywhere from 11 to 18 years old.

Both Phacochoerus species are about medium sized, between 63-85cm tall at the shoulder and weighing about 45-75 kilos, with males usually larger than females. Individuals can be coloured grey, brown, or black, and usually sport a coarse mane and brush-like tail that flares up as a warning to predators. Warthogs are also known for their distinctive tusks; both males and females have two pairs that protrude from the mouth and curl upwards. The lower pair is shorter than the upper pair and sharpens by rubbing against the upper pair every time the warthog moves its mouth. P. africanus can be distinguished from P. aethiopicus by their facial features; P. aethiopicus lacks insicors, has a larger snout, and the tips of their ears curl back.

Conservation status: Warthogs are considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Many areas of both species’ range is occupied by parks where they are protected. However, both habitat loss and poaching for ivory are common problems.

Photos

Charlie J. Sharp (via wikipedia)

Michel Gutierrez (via Flickr)

Bernard Dupont

Joel Sartore