Lincoln Park Zoo

Common name: Warthog Latin Name: Phacochoerus aethiopicus Class: Mammals Order:    Artiodactyla Description Warthogs can reach nearly five feet in length and have gray skin with a coarse mane of dark hair running down the back of the neck. Both males and females have two sets of tusks: a large upper pair and a small lower pair. The dull upper tasks are used primarily by males to compete for mates while the sharper lower tusks are used for defense against predators. The species gets its name from three sets of warts—thick skin deposits—on the face. Males can be distinguished from females by their larger tusks and warts.

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Range
Warthogs can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Status
Common

Habitat
This foraging species inhabits savannas, woods and grasslands.

Niche
Warthogs feed primarily on grasses, roots and bulbs, although they will also occasionally eat carrion. The species has a sharp sense of hearing, which is useful in alerting it to the lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs that prey on it.

Life History
Male warthogs (boars) live largely solitary lives while females (sows) often live in multigenerational family groups composed of mothers and offspring. These family groups communicate with one another via grunts, chirps and other noises. During breeding season, boars engage in wrestling matches with their heads and dull upper tusks to compete for females. Females later give birth to litters of two–three piglets in burrows, where the young stay for up to seven weeks for protection against predators.

Special Adaptations

• Warthogs lack sweat glands, so they can often be found wallowing in mud during the heat of day to cool down.