Trivia question for Jul-29-2011

Carter was doing more research on Africa and came across these mighty beasts.  See if you can answer his trivia.  The male of this species is the largest of all the worlds wild pigs and arguably the most fearsome, regularly fighting rivals for the possession of territory.

These animals have extensive hairs on its body, though these tend to become less pronounced as the animal ages. It is mostly black in color on the surface, though hairs nearest the skin of the animal are a deep orange color. Its ears are large and pointy, and the tusks are proportionally smaller than those of the warthogs but bigger than those of the bushpig. Nevertheless, the tusks of a male may reach a length of 14 in.

These animals are mainly herbivores, but also scavenges. It is usually considered nocturnal, but in cold periods it is more commonly seen during daylight hours, and it has been suggested it is diurnal in regions where protected from humans. They live in herds of up to twenty animals consisting of females and their offspring, but usually also including a single old male. Females leave the family unit before giving birth and returns with the piglets about a week after the birth. All members of the family unit protect the piglets and they can nurse from all females.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what kind of pig this is and what the family unit is called?  Also, these guys are so fearless that they actually send rival grazing animals scurrying away by using a head-butt to the rump of these animals to drive them off.  Tell us what types of animals they typically drive away?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Letsego from Upington South Africa for being the first to get our trivia correct and thanks for sharing the fact that these hogs typically occupy a territory as large as 4-square miles. The furry little critter we featured is the Giant Forest Hog. Giant forest hogs occur in west and central Africa, where largely restricted to the Guinean and Congolian forests. They also occur more locally in humid highlands of the Rwenzori Mountains and as far east as Mount Kenya and the Ethiopian Highlands.

The family unit is called a ‘Sounder’ and usually consists of up to 20 hogs.  Sounders occasionally mob rival grazers such as buffalo, rhino and bongo by head-butting them in the hind-quarters to send them running for different grazing areas.  Here is more on these pushy hogs: Giant Forest Hog

Thanks for playing along 😉