#red river hogs

[pigs-in-art]

Cartoonish Red River Hogs by Willem S. van der Merwe

[statisticalcats2]

And a red river hog for @skywalkerangst 💙

[antiqueanimals]

Potamochoerus porcus. Struik Pocket Guides for South Africa: Mammals. Written by John Skinner. Illustrated by Penny Meakin. 1988.

Internet Archive

[mammalidentifier]

Back at it again, this time with a real animal. Admittedly I already know what this one is but I just wanted to share it tbh. Just discovered it today

Pics my dad took at the zoo :)

Sorry to annoy you here's the plush I got of it as well

Ohhh the red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus)! I love these guys, one of my favorite suids.

[beardedmrbean]

philadelphiazoo

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The Riveting Red River Hog

Not to be confused with the African bushpig (although they occasionally share the same name), the red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus) is a type of pig native to the rainforests, wetlands, and savannahs of central Africa, although it has also been introduced to Madagascar. They are almost always found near rivers or swamps, as that tends to be the best area for finding food and keeping cool during the day, but they can also be seen near human settlements.

Compared to other members of the pig family, the red river hog has a very distinctive look. True to its name, it has bright orange or red fur all over its body, with a white stripe running down the back. The face is black with white markings, and the ears have distinctive tufts. Both males and females have white facial hair and tusks; the main difference between the two is that males have more prominent white “sideburns” and warts on the snout. Individuals range in size from 46 to 130kg and can be nearly 1m tall at shoulder height. Even then, they are considered the smallest of the African pigs.

P. porcus, like many pigs, are highly social creatures. Most live in family groups consisting of anywhere between six to thirty members, although groups of over a hundred individuals have been reported in prime habitats. Typically groups are made of one male and several females with their young. Adult males are highly territorial, and will scrape the ground or tree trunks with their trunks to mark their space; males will also fight for territory and breeding rights. As a result, the most common solitary red river hogs are young males who have yet to find their territory or mate.

Breeding occurs during the wet season, between September and February. After a brief mating display, males mount one or more females in their group. Pregnancy lasts about 120 days, so young are born between February and July. Litters can vary in size from one to six young, which are cared for in nests constructed of grass and leaves. After four months the young are weaned, although they do not become sexually mature until they are two years old, at which time they fully grow in their red coat. Individuals can live up to fifteen years in the wild.

Most of the red river hog’s adult life is spent foraging at night. These pigs are omnivores, although their primary diet consists of roots, fruits, seeds, and vegetation, much of which they find by rooting with their snouts. They have been known to follow chimpanzees for prime scrapes and will eat elephant dung to access undigested seeds. In terms of protein, P. porcus will eat bird eggs, insects, reptiles, and occasionally small farm animals like piglets and goats. The main predator of red river hogs are leopards, which the dominant male will fight to protect his group.

Conservation status: P. porcus is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. In fact, their numbers are increasing due to the decline of their natural predator, the leopard. Red river hogs are hunted by humans, both as a source of food and for pest control.

Photos

Brent Huffman

Smithsonian National Zoo

Joel Sartore

[youneedone2]

Red River Hogs by ZWQ

[anyonewestofbree]

This morning with Dill, Gherkin, Vlasic, Bread, and Butter (get it, get it, we’re very clever)