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776 Featured Specimen
Red river hog

Details

Red river hog

Potamochoerus porcus

Size
1–1.5 m · 45–115 kg
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Social
Lifespan

A brightly colored wild pig of western and central African forests and wetlands. Rufous fur, a pale dorsal crest, and ear tufts make it distinctive.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Red river hogs use rainforest, swamp forest, riparian thickets, and forest-savanna edges. Dense cover and water are important habitat features.

Appearance

They have reddish-brown fur, a black-and-white facial pattern, a pale crest along the back, and long ear tassels. The body is relatively slender.

Behavior

They are mostly nocturnal and forage in small groups while rooting in soil. When disturbed, they retreat into dense vegetation and can swim.

Feeding

They eat roots, fruit, seeds, grasses, aquatic plants, insects, eggs, small animals, and carrion. Crops may also be taken near farms.

Reproduction

Females give birth to litters in nests of grass and branches. Piglets are striped at first and develop the reddish adult coat later.

Notes

By eating fruit they can disperse seeds, but they can also become crop pests where farms meet forest.