Potamochoerus - Red River Hog and the African Bush Pig

Scientific name	Potamochoerus porcus – Red River Hog (RRH)
	Potamochoerus larvatus – African Bush Pig (ABP)
	Some dispute that these two are separate species.
Global distribution	Africa. Southern Bush Pig – Ethiopia to Angola and eastern South Africa. Madagascar. Red River Hog – Forest zone from Senegal to Northern and Eastern Zaire.
Habitat	RRH-Wide range of habitats – lowland rainforest, gallery forest, dry forest, savanna woodland, mixed scrub and cultivated areas. ABP- Forests, riverines, montane habitat with dense cover
	When not active, they shelter in dense vegetation and may construct bad weather nests during cold and wet spells.
Conservation status	Potamochoerus larvatus - Vulnerable
Physical characteristics	Body size			Head and body length – 1,000 to 1,500 mm Shoulder height 585 - 965 mm
	Weight			Weight is 46-130 kg
	Colouring			RRH - Bright russet orange with a white dorsal line and long ear tufts ABP – Varies light red to brown or black, sometimes with a lot of intermingled hairs.
	Piglet colouring			Stripped piglets
	Tail			Tail length is 300-432 mm
	Tusks			Upper tusk 76 mm – point downwards and wear against the lower ones Lower tusk 165-90 mm
	Warts			Male has warts in front of the eye, which although they protrude 40 mm, frequently are not conspicuous as they are concealed by facial hair.
Red River Hog – Potamochoerus porcus
Male side view				Male rear view		Male and female face view
Female side view				Detail of ears
Southern Bush Pig - Potamochoerus larvatus koiropotamus
Side view				Male face view		Rear view
		Warts on the face – arrow Red River Hog
Anatomical points	Peculiarities
	Glands
	Dental formulae		(i 3/3; c 1/1; pm 4/4; m 3/3) x 2 = 44 (full mammalian dentition)
The upper incisors decrease in size from the first to the third and the lower incisors are long, narrow, set closely together and almost horizontal in position. The incisors and the canines have sharp lateral edges. The large upper canines grow outward and backward, tending to form a complete circle. These tusks are most prominent in males. The check teeth are cuspidate and the upper premolars are simpler than the molars in structure. With age, the enamel wears away and all the teeth disappear, except the canines and back molars.
Behaviour points	Maturing age				Female sexual maturity around 3 years of age.
	Mating ritual				Evidence of monogamous mating with the male playing an active role in the rearing and defense of the young
	Seasonal breeding				Seasonal, piglets being born more frequently towards the end of the dry season or the onset of the rainy season. South Africa P. larvatus November to February peak birth period (warm, wet summer).
					Give birth annually
	Gestation period				120 days – 4 months
	Nest				Females construct a 3 metre and 1 metre deep nest
	Litter size and lactation				One to eight (average 3-4)
	Piglet birth weights				700-800 grams
	Family groups				9-15 individuals in a sounder. May travel in up to 60 individuals. The immature to adult ratio is generally 2:1
	Peak activity				Nocturnal
	Range				Home ranges of 3.8-10.1 sq km and population density of 0.3-0.5/sq km.
Diet	Omnivorous. Opportunistic predators and consume a range of invertebrates, small vertebrates and carrion
Diseases/ disorders
Age	One specimen lived in captivity to 21 years and 7 months