Scientific name |
Hylochoerus meinertzhageni |
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Global distribution |
Forest zone from Guinea Bussau
to southwestern |
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Habitat |
Tropical |
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Conservation status |
Vulnerable for a subspecies H. meinertzhageni ivoriensis |
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Physical characteristics |
Body size male |
1,300 to 2,100 mm long. Shoulder height is 762 – 1,100 mm. |
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Weight |
250 to 300 kg |
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Colouring |
Skin is blackish gray. The skin in front of each eye and on the upper part of the cheek below the eye is almost naked. |
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Hair |
The pelage is long, coarse and black and may become sparse with age. The face, ears and lower legs are free of hair. |
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Below and behind each eye there are two movable cutaneous thickenings or facial excrescences. |
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Piglet colouring |
Stripped piglets |
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Tail |
300-400 mm |
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Side
view - female |
Face view |
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Side view mother with
piglets |
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Anatomical points |
Peculiarities |
Large skull contains a large depression in the roof. The nose is very prominent |
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Glands |
Preorbital gland is present, marked externally by a slit on the naked area of the face in front of each eye. |
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Dental formulae |
( i 3/3, c 1/1, pm 4/4, m 3/3) x 2 = 44 |
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Canines are set horizontally. |
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Behaviour points |
Maturing age |
18 months of age |
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Mating ritual |
Single male with a sounder |
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Seasonal breeding |
Breeding is continuous. Mating peaks in |
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Oestrus period |
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Gestation period |
151 days |
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Litter size and lactation |
2-4 piglets. Born into nest of long grass |
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Lactation |
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Weaning age |
9 weeks of age |
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Family groups |
Travels in sounders of 20 individuals. Covering 10 sq km and may be dominated by one male. Group composed on female and her offspring. Males may be very aggressive when defending the sounder |
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Cooling behaviour |
Wallows in mud wallows and swamp areas |
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Sleeping area |
Ideally under fallen tree from a scoop of bare earth. |
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Peak activity |
Peak activity is from dusk to nearly midnight. As daytime temperature drops may become more active during the day. |
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Designs paths connecting sleeping areas with latrines, grazing areas and mineral licks. |
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Diet |
Feeds mainly on short grass, sedges, shrubs and herbaceous growth. Does not root or dig extensively |
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Diseases/ disorders |
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Age |
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