If you’ve watched Disney’s The Lion King, you’ll be very familiar with a loveable animated warthog called Pumbaa.
Warthogs are grazers that live in woodlands, open bushlands and savanna grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa. They play a vital role in the ecosystem, promoting plant growth by aerating the soil with their snouts while they look for food. These members of the pig family Suidae are also important prey for African carnivores, including leopards, hyenas, lions and wild dogs.
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Why are they called warthogs?
The warthog's common name comes from the prominent, wart-like bumps on its face. Males have two pairs of these ‘warts’ and females have one pair. These bumps provide protection (particularly for males during fights with rivals) and have hairs on them that detect vibrations, alerting the animals to threats while they feed.
How fast are warthogs?
If startled, warthogs can move incredibly quickly, reaching top speeds of 48kmph.
How big are their tusks?
Warthogs’ sharp tusks are used in fights, during courtship displays and to forage for food. Both males and females possess two sets. The upper tusks are up to 60cm long and form a semi-circle, and the lower tusks are about 15cm long.
How big are warthogs?
Warthogs can reach up to 150cm in body length and weigh up to 150kg.
Special features of a warthog
- Stocky body
- Rough mane
- Large head
- 'Warts' on face
- Two sets of tusks
What noises do warthogs make?
Warthogs produce a wide range of sounds to communicate. They grunt during group interactions, growl to intimidate rivals during mating disputes, squeal when they are frightened and snort to express alarm. Low, reassuring rumbles can sometimes be heard between females and their young.
How many species of warthog are there?
There are two species of warthog: the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and the desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus). Both are listed as Least Concern and have decreasing populations. According to the IUCN, both species are widespread, often locally abundant, and have a high reproductive rate. However, most populations seem to be in decline over much of their geographic range.
Do warthogs face any threats?
It’s not all hakuna matata (no worries) for these wild pigs. The main threats to warthogs include human-caused habitat degradation, loss and fragmentation; competition with livestock for water and food; and hunting. Warthogs are killed for their meat, for their ivory tusks, in retaliation for crop raiding, and in eradication programmes in some areas. The wild pigs can potentially carry African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, which can be spread to livestock. Drought, disease and predation are natural causes of mortality.
What’s the difference between the two species of warthog?
Common warthogs are distinguished by their larger tusks and more prominent manes compared to their desert counterparts. The common warthog has the widest distribution, whereas the desert warthog is only found in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
What do warthogs eat?
The warthogs’ diet changes seasonally depending on what is available. These omnivores eat roots, bulbs, bark, berries, grasses and other plants. They dig through the soil with their snouts to find food and have special pads that enable them to kneel to eat short grass. They also eat worms, insects and carrion.
What are baby warthogs called?
Baby warthogs are called piglets, as they belong to the pig family.
Where do they live?
These animals rely on abandoned aardvark burrows for shelter, using them to escape predators and raise their young. They widen the burrows with their rumps and then back in, guarding the entrance with their tusks. Females live in communal groups called sounders and share burrow complexes with other females and their piglets. In contrast, adult males are primarily solitary creatures.
How do warthogs breed?
Males and females only come together to mate. The breeding season often aligns with the onset of the rainy season. Males compete for access to females and after mating, there is a gestation period of approximately six months. Females usually have up to four young, which are suckled for about four months. After weaning, piglets tend to remain with their mother’s sounder as they grow and develop.
How long do warthogs live for?
Warthogs live up to 15 years in the wild.
How do warthogs keep cool?
When water is accessible, warthogs often submerge themselves to cool off. They also wallow in mud to achieve the same effect – this behaviour also helps keep bothersome invertebrates at bay. When they’re not enjoying a ‘spa’, warthogs accommodate birds such as oxpeckers on their hides as they help them take care of pesky parasites.
What's the relationship between a warthog and mongoose?
As we all know from The Lion King, Pumbaa (a warthog) and Timon (a mongoose) are a wisecracking yet perhaps unlikely pairing. But warthogs and mongoose actually have a symbiotic relationship in nature, called mutualism: mongooses pick off ticks and parasites from warthogs, then eat them. This means the warthog remains healthy, and the mongooses have a protein-rich meal.
Main image: a warthog in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda/Credit: Getty
