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The Warthog
Taxonomy notes:
Species:Phacochoerus africanus (common Warthog)
During the 18th and 19th centuries two species of warthog were recognised: Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Pallas 1766) from the Cape Province of South Africa and Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin 1788) from West Africa. In the early 20th century, mammalian taxonomists lumped the two species under P. aethiopicus. Palaeontologists, however, continued to recognise two distinct species based on the absence of incisors in P. aethiopicus and differences between the two species in the structure of the third molar.
Fig 1: The Warthog
Description:
The common Warthog is a medium-sized animal, with a head-and-body length ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 metres, and shoulder height from 63.5 to 85 cm.
Females, at 45 to 75 kilograms , are typically slightly smaller and lighter in weight than males. A Warthog is identifiable by the two pairs of tusksprotruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The lower pair, which is far shorter than the upper pair, becomes razor-sharp by rubbing against the upper pair every time the mouth is opened and closed.
The head of the common Warthog is large, with a mane down the spine to the middle of the back. Sparse hair covers the body. Its colour is usually black or brown. Tails are long and end with a tuft of hair.
Fig 2: Growth and size charts.
Distribution:
Warthogs are widely distributed in Africa, from South Africa up to Central Africa, living in the grasslands and savannah woodlands around water holes and marshy areas They still occur naturally on farms throughout the range, and is being re-introduced into the areas where they have become locally extinct.
Fig 3: Distribution in South Africa.
Interesting facts:
This species takes feeding seriously. They have developed an interesting practice of kneeling on their calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass. They will also use their snouts and tusks to dig for bulbs, tubers, and roots during the dry season. During the wet season, they may eat earthworms and other small invertebrates. Warthogs can survive for months on end without water. They like to roll in the mud to protect their skin from the sun and from parasites
Fig 4: The Warts.
Habitats and Ecology:
Warthogs have a wide habitat tolerance, being the only pig species that has adapted to grazing in savannah habitats. Its diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs and carrion. The diet is seasonably variable, depending on availability of different food items. Although they can dig their own burrows, they commonly occupy abandoned burrows of aardvarks and other animals. The common Warthog reverses into burrows, with its head facing the opening and ready to burst out if necessary. Common Warthogs will wallow in mud to cope wit high temperatures and huddle together during cold spells.
Fig 5: Natural Predators.
Behavior:
Warthogs are day animals and spend most of their time looking for food. They are normally found in family groups. Warthogs have the peculiar habit of kneeling on the front knees while feeding and foraging in a localised area. They shelter in burrows at night, which they enter tail first.
Common Warthogs are not territorial, but instead occupy a home range. Females live in sounders with their young and with other females. Females tend to stay in their natal groups, while males leave, but stay within the home range. Sub-adult males associate in bachelor groups, but live alone when they become adults. Adult males only join sounders with oestrous females. Boars play no part in rearing piglets and seldom associate with sows outside the mating process. Promiscuous, both sexes will mate with more than one partner. Common Warthogs of both sexes begin to mark around six to seven months old. Males tend to mark more than females. They mark sleeping and feeding areas and waterholes. Common Warthogs use tusk marking for courtship, for antagonistic behaviours, and to establish status.
Fig 6. Female with piglets
Types of groups:
Warthogs live in small family groups (called sounders)composed of a female and her young and at times, will be joined by another, related family. Males tend to live singly and only join up with these family groups in order to mate.Before giving birth to a new litter, the female Warthog will chase away the litter she has been raising. These ousted juveniles then form their own group, sometimes joining up with another female before venturing out on their own.
Fig 7: A sounder of Warthogs
Hunting Warthog:
When hunting Warthog, look for wet, marshy areas, water holes, and pans. The Warthog's eyesight is very poor, but his hearing and smell are both excellent, alerting and making him flee quite quickly. Slow approach from downwind is thus called for. Shot placement can be a bit challenging due to the Warthog’s anatomy and physical appearance. The side-on, high heart shot will be most effective; sight directly up the front leg to about the body mid-line and squeeze. The frontal brain shot is common when hunting Warthog; aim right between the eyes. If he is running away, the “Texas hear shot” is called for - place your shot just below the anus.
Fig 8: Shot placement.
The Warthog Trophy:
Your warthog boar trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 25 inches, weigh about 180 pounds, and have a Tusk Length of approximately 10 inches. The Safari Club International minimum score for a warthog is 29. The trophy is measured by adding the length of each tusk and the circumference of the tusks. Only the upper tusks are considered for the trophy measurement
Fig 9: Skull.
Signs in the wild:
The spoor is a split- or cloven-hoofed print similar to that of antelope, but is not tapered towards the front. It gives the impression of two soya beans lying parallel with the inner sides facing towards each other. Both the base and the front end of the spoor are bluntly rounded. Direction of movement is difficult to determine, as the base and front end of the prints are similar in shape.
Fig 10: Signs to look out for.
References:
Smithers, RHN, 1983. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, 1st edn. University of Pretoria, CTP
Book Printers, Cape Town.
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_Warthog.html
https://www.livescience.com/58337-Warthog-facts.html
https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/Warthog
https://www.shamwari.com/10-interesting-facts-about-Warthogs/
Michael Somers, Matthew F. Child, Phacochoerus africanus – Common Warthog, Michael Somers, University of Pretoria, Endangered Wildlife Trust
Deon Furtenburg. Warthog Phacochoerus africanus (Gemlin 1788).
Taxonomy notes:
Species:Phacochoerus africanus (common Warthog)
During the 18th and 19th centuries two species of warthog were recognised: Phacochoerus aethiopicus (Pallas 1766) from the Cape Province of South Africa and Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin 1788) from West Africa. In the early 20th century, mammalian taxonomists lumped the two species under P. aethiopicus. Palaeontologists, however, continued to recognise two distinct species based on the absence of incisors in P. aethiopicus and differences between the two species in the structure of the third molar.
Fig 1: The Warthog
Description:
The common Warthog is a medium-sized animal, with a head-and-body length ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 metres, and shoulder height from 63.5 to 85 cm.
Females, at 45 to 75 kilograms , are typically slightly smaller and lighter in weight than males. A Warthog is identifiable by the two pairs of tusksprotruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The lower pair, which is far shorter than the upper pair, becomes razor-sharp by rubbing against the upper pair every time the mouth is opened and closed.
The head of the common Warthog is large, with a mane down the spine to the middle of the back. Sparse hair covers the body. Its colour is usually black or brown. Tails are long and end with a tuft of hair.
Fig 2: Growth and size charts.
Distribution:
Warthogs are widely distributed in Africa, from South Africa up to Central Africa, living in the grasslands and savannah woodlands around water holes and marshy areas They still occur naturally on farms throughout the range, and is being re-introduced into the areas where they have become locally extinct.
Fig 3: Distribution in South Africa.
Interesting facts:
This species takes feeding seriously. They have developed an interesting practice of kneeling on their calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass. They will also use their snouts and tusks to dig for bulbs, tubers, and roots during the dry season. During the wet season, they may eat earthworms and other small invertebrates. Warthogs can survive for months on end without water. They like to roll in the mud to protect their skin from the sun and from parasites
Fig 4: The Warts.
Habitats and Ecology:
Warthogs have a wide habitat tolerance, being the only pig species that has adapted to grazing in savannah habitats. Its diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs and carrion. The diet is seasonably variable, depending on availability of different food items. Although they can dig their own burrows, they commonly occupy abandoned burrows of aardvarks and other animals. The common Warthog reverses into burrows, with its head facing the opening and ready to burst out if necessary. Common Warthogs will wallow in mud to cope wit high temperatures and huddle together during cold spells.
Fig 5: Natural Predators.
Behavior:
Warthogs are day animals and spend most of their time looking for food. They are normally found in family groups. Warthogs have the peculiar habit of kneeling on the front knees while feeding and foraging in a localised area. They shelter in burrows at night, which they enter tail first.
Common Warthogs are not territorial, but instead occupy a home range. Females live in sounders with their young and with other females. Females tend to stay in their natal groups, while males leave, but stay within the home range. Sub-adult males associate in bachelor groups, but live alone when they become adults. Adult males only join sounders with oestrous females. Boars play no part in rearing piglets and seldom associate with sows outside the mating process. Promiscuous, both sexes will mate with more than one partner. Common Warthogs of both sexes begin to mark around six to seven months old. Males tend to mark more than females. They mark sleeping and feeding areas and waterholes. Common Warthogs use tusk marking for courtship, for antagonistic behaviours, and to establish status.
Fig 6. Female with piglets
Types of groups:
Warthogs live in small family groups (called sounders)composed of a female and her young and at times, will be joined by another, related family. Males tend to live singly and only join up with these family groups in order to mate.Before giving birth to a new litter, the female Warthog will chase away the litter she has been raising. These ousted juveniles then form their own group, sometimes joining up with another female before venturing out on their own.
Fig 7: A sounder of Warthogs
Hunting Warthog:
When hunting Warthog, look for wet, marshy areas, water holes, and pans. The Warthog's eyesight is very poor, but his hearing and smell are both excellent, alerting and making him flee quite quickly. Slow approach from downwind is thus called for. Shot placement can be a bit challenging due to the Warthog’s anatomy and physical appearance. The side-on, high heart shot will be most effective; sight directly up the front leg to about the body mid-line and squeeze. The frontal brain shot is common when hunting Warthog; aim right between the eyes. If he is running away, the “Texas hear shot” is called for - place your shot just below the anus.
Fig 8: Shot placement.
The Warthog Trophy:
Your warthog boar trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 25 inches, weigh about 180 pounds, and have a Tusk Length of approximately 10 inches. The Safari Club International minimum score for a warthog is 29. The trophy is measured by adding the length of each tusk and the circumference of the tusks. Only the upper tusks are considered for the trophy measurement
Fig 9: Skull.
Signs in the wild:
The spoor is a split- or cloven-hoofed print similar to that of antelope, but is not tapered towards the front. It gives the impression of two soya beans lying parallel with the inner sides facing towards each other. Both the base and the front end of the spoor are bluntly rounded. Direction of movement is difficult to determine, as the base and front end of the prints are similar in shape.
Fig 10: Signs to look out for.
References:
Smithers, RHN, 1983. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, 1st edn. University of Pretoria, CTP
Book Printers, Cape Town.
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_Warthog.html
https://www.livescience.com/58337-Warthog-facts.html
https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/Warthog
https://www.shamwari.com/10-interesting-facts-about-Warthogs/
Michael Somers, Matthew F. Child, Phacochoerus africanus – Common Warthog, Michael Somers, University of Pretoria, Endangered Wildlife Trust
Deon Furtenburg. Warthog Phacochoerus africanus (Gemlin 1788).
