Red River Hogs

Scientific Name:
Potamochoerus porcus

Other Names:
None (“Bush pig” is a separate distinct species, P. larvatus)

Range:
West and Central Sub-Saharan Africa to Northern South Africa.

Habitat:
Varies greatly. They inhabit primary and secondary forests, thickets in savannahs, swamps, and steppes. They also congregate around human villages.

Conservation
Average Size: IUCN Red List: Lower Risk - Least Concern
Length Due in part to a human-caused reduction in leopards, populations are increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. However, because of the damage they do to crops, they aren’t very popular with farmers. They also eat livestock and can be carriers of diseases, such as African Swine Fever, which affect domestic livestock. African Swine fever is carried by ticks, and while it does not harm Red River Hogs, they can transmit the disease to domestic pigs, in which the disease is fatal.

Body: 36” – 60”
Height: 18” – 30” at shoulder
Weight: 110 – 250 lbs.

Description:
The red river hog has a long, white crest of hair that runs down its back which stands on end when the animal is excited or alarmed. The animal's red coat is long and bristly with black and white markings on the head, including a white eye ring and long ear tassels. It has short, sturdy legs, a long snout and short, sharp tusks.

Behavior
Red River Hogs are social animals. While adults of both sexes have been known to be solitary, most live in small groups of up to eleven individuals. Large aggregations of over 100 animals have been recorded. The typical group contains three to six individuals. In most cases, one dominant, adult male boar is present in these small family groups. Threat displays involve displays of their facial masks and the production of loud noises. They fight by pressing their foreheads together, butting heads, jabbing with their snouts and whipping each other with their tails. They are most active at night and spend the day in burrows among dense vegetation.

Lifespan: 20 years

Gestation: 10 – 11 weeks

Sexual Maturity: 36 months

Predators: Humans, pythons, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas