Page 156 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a placental mammal of the Sus genus, which it shares with its de-
scendent, the domestic pig, Sus domesticus, in the even-toed ungulate family Suidae. There are 16 rec-
ognised subspecies* of wild boar, which have a native global range across, northern Europe and North
Africa to India, the Andaman Islands, and China. It has also been introduced to the United States, New
Zealand and several other countries where it has reached significant numbers. The representative size of
the wild boar is quoted as being around 120 to 150 cm in length, 80 to 90 cm tall at the shoulder and
weighing around 75 to 100 kg, though some, like the Ussuri boar have been known to grow from time to
time much larger.

The wild boar has a short but heavily built
body with a very short tail. It has four, rather
thin, but strong legs with large medial hooves.
Its short but muscular neck supports a very
large head that accounts for a third of the ani-
mal’s full length. It has small round sunken eyes
and its ears are broad and stand erect. Its snout
is long, flat and pig-like with a pair of overgrown
lower canine teeth protruding out of its mouth
and curving inward. It is covered in a bristly
haired fur coat that could be a grizzled, blackish
or brown colour. It is a very powerful and adapt-
able animal. It has poor eyesight but excellent
hearing and its sense of smell is second to none.
*Recognised Subspecies
It can smell food deep underground. Once de-
Central European boar tected, it uses its head like a plough and can shift massive amounts of
North African boar soil, dig into the frozen ground, and, if they get in its way, overturn or
Carpathian boar: S. s. attila flip to one side, large, 40 to 50 kg, boulders. Its legs may be thin but
they are powerful. Wild boars are first class swimmers, can jump 140
Indian boar to 150 cm into the air and can run, for a considerable distance, at a
Central Asian boar speed of 40km/h.

Japanese boar The wild boar is the widest-ranging mammal in the world. It’s
Anatolian boar achieved this status because it’s a very adaptable species. Nowhere is
Maremman boar this more apparent than in its choice of habitat. Across the world in
areas it inhabits it can be found in most brush and bushlands, decid-
Mediterranean boar:S. s. merid-
ionalis uous and mixed forests, whether it be close to the coast, in flat
Northern Chinese boar swampy marshland or 10,000ft up a mountain side. It tends to avoid
areas covered in snow or prone to regular snowfall, but always picks
Middle Asian boar: S. s. nigripes areas close to drinking water. Adult male boars tend to live solitary
Ryukyu boar : S. s. riukiuanus lives meeting with others during the winter breeding season. Males at
Trans-Baikal boar: S. s. sibiricus this time will fight with their tusks to gain mating supremacy. Fe-
males, on the other hand, group together in a matriarchal group con-
Formosan boar: S. s. taivanus sisting of related females and their young. Living in its natural habi-
Ussuri boar: S. s. ussuricus tats, wild boars pose little threat to the natural environment. Alt-
Banded pig hough it is still legal to hunt them in some countries, in many they
are protected, and have even been reintroduced into some countries
where they had been hunted into extinction. However, introduced,
for their meat and sport, into the Americas, New Zealand and Australia, the wild boar has mated with
local feral pigs, creating a hybrid boar that has become a serious wild pest in these countries.

The Boar is an opportunistic omnivore and will eat almost anything it deems edible. Of course, its
diet will vary according to its location. However, in general, it’s normal diet will consist of roots, bulbs,
seeds, nuts and a wide variety of green plants. While the boars opportunistic diet will be made up of
small mammals, eggs, earthworms and all kinds of invertebrates. The wild boar itself, however, is prey to
many of the world’s big cats like lions and tigers. They are also the main source of food for wolves, and in
countries where the wolf resides, it hunts the boar relentlessly. Contrary to popular belief, boars do not
deliberately attack humans; in fact, they do their best to avoid any kind of contact with humans. Howev-
er, if startled or feel threatened they can be very dangerous.