Details
Sus scrofa
A large wild pig native across much of Eurasia and nearby regions. Its strong snout allows it to root through soil in forests, fields, and wetlands.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Wild boar occupy forests, wetlands, grasslands, farms, and urban edges. Cover, water, and soil suitable for rooting are key habitat elements.
The body is stocky and covered in coarse bristles. The head is long, males develop tusks, and piglets have striped coats.
Females and young form sounders, while adult males are often solitary. Activity is commonly nocturnal, with extensive rooting while foraging.
They are omnivores, eating roots, tubers, acorns, fruits, insects, earthworms, small animals, and carrion. Diet changes with season and land use.
Where food is abundant, reproduction can be rapid. Females give birth to litters in nests made from grasses, leaves, and branches.
In native ranges it is a natural ecosystem engineer, but introduced populations can cause severe agricultural and biodiversity impacts.
