Details
Potamochoerus porcus
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.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Red river hogs use rainforest, swamp forest, riparian thickets, and forest-savanna edges. Dense cover and water are important habitat features.
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.
They are mostly nocturnal and forage in small groups while rooting in soil. When disturbed, they retreat into dense vegetation and can swim.
They eat roots, fruit, seeds, grasses, aquatic plants, insects, eggs, small animals, and carrion. Crops may also be taken near farms.
Females give birth to litters in nests of grass and branches. Piglets are striped at first and develop the reddish adult coat later.
By eating fruit they can disperse seeds, but they can also become crop pests where farms meet forest.
