African warthog

African warthog - the kind of family unit cloven-hoofed pigs, living in large parts of Africa.

 Warthog got its name from the large cutaneous warts on the face. They are located under the eyes, behind the eyes, between the corners of the mouth and eyes and on the side of the mandible. The old males warts grow strongly and take the form of elongated cones. Canines are also very large, especially in males. Stubble monochrome gray, sparse on the body and most of the long tail. On the back of the neck and mane is formed on the face - the whiskers, on the tail - the brush. In adult animals, a total of 16 teeth, as part of pre-indigenous and indigenous falls, and the rear molar tooth becomes very large and takes up most of the work of chewing food. Size large: body length 145-190 cm, height - 65 - 85 cm, weight - 50-150 kg. It forms a seven subspecies.

 Widely distributed in Africa south of Sahara. Warthog is not only in the tropical forests of West Africa and in the extreme south of the continent. It inhabits the Savannah, light scrub and woodland, avoiding dense forests. Where a lot of warthogs, they form herds of up to 100 or more animals on 1,000 hectares. Live in groups consisting of 1-3 females with piglets. In the largest herds numbered up to 17-18 individuals. Adult males live alone, sometimes forming their flocks. Unlike other pigs, are active during the day and spend the night in burrows. Often use burrows aardvarks, only slightly extending them, but they can dig themselves. Adult males climb into the hole, walking backwards, the young brood of the climb, head first, and the female of the last climbs in the same way as the male head covering his broad input. Differ from other pigs warthogs feed and method of obtaining food. They feed on grass and when grazing, kneel (wrist). On lap they move during the grazing, and as an adaptation to this unusual movement in their wrists, develop large, thick calluses. There kolenopriklonennyh crawling warthogs often be seen early in the morning and evening.

 Multiply warthogs year round, but pigs appear more frequently in the rainy seasons. Become sexually mature at the age of 17-19 months. During the rut the males chase the females, emitting sounds resembling the sound of the engine. Sometimes there are fights between males, but usually bloodless, despite their strong, sharp fangs. Especially with long upper canines warthogs directed to the sides and curved upwards and inwards. These adjoin the inner surface of the lower teeth shorter, forming with them sharp daggers. However, their weapons, which they successfully protected from lions, leopards, or Cape hunting dogs, they are not allowed to move during a fight with each other. Met, male warthog vzdyblivayut mane and their heads are trying to push each other away. During this struggle, they kneel, growling terribly excited, and they beat their tails on the sides. Gestation lasts 171-175 days. In the female bears a hole three, rarely four piglets, grayish-pink, with no streaks. Pigs are very sensitive to cold and the early days did not leave a hole where the temperature is around all day and night - 30 C and humidity of 90%. The female warthog, in contrast to other pigs, do not litter train into the slot and leaves the pigs alone for the day. Only once a day, she returns to feed them with milk. About a week later the pigs begin to crawl out of holes, and escorted his mother for a short distance. These wires are extended day and a week later the pigs back into the hole in the evening with his mother. In one hole with a young mother lived for about a year.

 On the hunt warthogs, and in parts of Africa, they have become rare, but in most countries is still quite common. In zoos, if they are fed grass, not the usual fodder for pigs, live well for 10-12 years.