bushpig

The bushpig, also known as the Potamochoerus larvatus, is a member of the pig family. They live in forests and woodland areas in southern Africa. There are several species of bushpigs. It is very closely related to the Red River Hog. The Bushpig has many flaws other than their narrow bodies and sharp tusks.

Adult bushpigs range from two to three feet in length and 120 to 360 pounds in weight. They can be identified by their muscular snouts, narrow eyes, pointed ears, and buckled toes. Their fur color ranges from reddish-brown to a very dark brown. Their color gets darker when they grow older. The manes, upper parts of the face, and ears of the bushpig are lighter in color. Their tusks are fairly short and very sharp. The male bushpigs tend to be larger than the females. The bushpig is known to be a very social animal. Their groups are known as sounders, and they are found in sounders of up to twelve members. Typical sounders of bushpigs consist of a dominant male and a dominant female. The females and juveniles of the group are basically just resting. Litters of three of four young are usually born in the summer after a gestation period of four months. Bushpigs can be very aggressive towards others, especially if they have a young of their own. Bushpigs are omnivorous animals. Their diet consists of roots, crops or carrion, and new newborn lambs. The grunt softly while foraging and make a long resonant growl as an alarm call. These animals are hunted very extensively in South Africa, because they are known to be a nuisance in agricultural regions. Even though they are being hunted, the population of bushpigs in farming areas still continues to grow due to the abundance of food, lack of predators, and rapid ability to adapt to new hunting methods.