Babirusa

Scientific name	Babirusa babyrussa
Other names	Pig deer. From the Malay words for hog and deer
Global distribution	Sulawesia, Togian and Sula islands and Buru Islands in the Moluccas
Habitat	Moist forests, canebrakes and the shores or rivers and lakes. The babirusa is capable of swimming between islands.
Conservation status	Vulnerable and endangered
	About 4000 in the wild
Physical characteristics	Body size male			Head and body length 875-1065 mm Shoulder height is 650-800 mm
	Weight			70 to 100 kg. Females tend to be 30% lighter
	Colouring			The skin is rough and brownish grey or smooth and. The underside of the body and inner sides of the legs are sometimes lighter than the rest of the body. The white colouration may extend along the sides of the upper lip. The skin may hang in folds
	Hair			There is little hair covering. The body is sparsely covered with short whitish gray to yellowish hairs
	Piglet colouring			Piglets are not stripped.
	Tail			275 - 320 mm
Babirusa male side				Male face – only one upper tusk in this case		Male rear
Babirusa female side				Female face		Female rear
				The skull of the male Babirusa. Note that the upper canines, penetrate the maxilla bones and curve out over the head, sometimes contacting the forehead. These teeth are quite fragile and are used for display purposes.
Anatomical points	Chromosome number
	Vertebrae formulae
	Pecularities		Upper incisors curve upwards and perce the nasal skin. The snout is grooved Only two pairs of mammae
	Glands
	Dental formulae		(i 2/3, c 1/1, pm 2/2, m 3/3) x 2 = 34
Behaviour points	Maturing age				In captivity 5-10 months. In the wild probably not before 12 months of age
	Mating ritual
	Seasonal breeding				Early months of the year. Can produce two litters per year
	Oestrus period				28-42 days with oestrus of 2-3 days
	Gestation period				155 to 158 days
	Litter size and lactation				1-2
	Lactation				Two pairs of mammae.
	Weaning age				Piglets are very precocious. Piglets start taking solid feed by day 10.
	Family groups				Small groups or 8 individuals
	Cooling behaviour				Wallow in mud. Will swim well
	Peak activity				Generally dinural with activity concentrated in the morning. Constructs nests for resting and wallowing.
Lying down sequence – typical pig leaning against a wall, front feet first, then hind feet and then holding legs under body or lying flat out of the side
Rub marks – the male sharpens the lower tusks on trees.
Diet	Babirusa does not seem to root with its snout, feeds on grass, foliage and fallen fruit.
Grazing		Babirusa at play chasing a Peacock feathers
Drinking male		female
Diseases/ disorders
Age	Babirusa may live for 24 years