Table of Contents
Overview
Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
Forest hogs are found in Africa, mainly in the equatorial forests and grasslands west, west of the Rift Valley. There are a few scattered small populations northeast of Lake Victoria, and several scattered larger populations from Nigeria to Senegal. There are three recognized subspecies, each with distinct ranges. The forest hog H. m. ivoriensis inhabits the area near the Ivory Coast, H. m. rimator lives in two areas near the west and central equatorial zone and coexists in the east equatorial zone with H. m. mienertzhagheni, the "true" giant forest hog. A potential fourth subspecies exists to the north of H. m. mienertzhagheni.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
- Estes, R. 1991. Behavior Guide to African Mammals. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press.
- d'Huart, J. 1993. 4.3 The Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni). Pp. 84-92 in W Oliver, ed. Pigs, Peccaries, and Hippos. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Standing approximately 1m high and 190 cm long, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni adults have a huge broad head, and males have pads of naked, inflated skin near their eyes. Both sexes have small, straight tusks that flare outward (to 30 cm) and teeth modified for grazing and browsing. The giant forest hog has large, pointed ears and bristly hair on its body and tail. Color is slate gray with some lighter hair on the face. The male's cheek pads contain scent glands, and this hog also has a preputial scent gland. Females are slightly smaller than males and have 4 mammae.
Range mass: 180 to 275 kg.
Average length: 190 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
- Walker, E. 1968. Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Adult size and sexual maturity are reached by both males and females at 18 months; life tables suggest an average life expectancy of 3.5 years and an average life span of five years, with a maximum of 18 years (d’Huart 1978).
Systems
- Terrestrial
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The giant forest hog prefers the dense shade of thickets and bushes. This suid ranges through a variety of forest types, including dry forests; humid, lowland forests; and montane forests (up to 3,800 m). H. meinertzhageni is most common near permanent water sources, especially where there is a thick understory cover. However, it does venture out into clearings and grasslands to feed.
Range elevation: 3800 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Herbivore: The forest hog is unable to root like other Suidae, but it can dig quite well with its tusks for roots and minerals. Otherwise, the forest hog grazes on grasses, sedges and herbage. Sometimes, these suids will ingest carrion or eggs. They also practice coprophagy (Estes 1991, d'Huart 1993).
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Life History and Behavior
Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 3.0 years.
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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Reproduction
Gestation period: 151 days
Number of young: 2-11 precocial piglets
Breeding season: February to April and August to October
Birthing: January to March and July to September
Weaning: 9 weeks
Sexual maturity: 18 months
Life span: up to 18 years, with 5 years being the average
Juveniles accompany their mother very soon after birth, but remain under cover in nests of tall grasses and branches for at least a week, walking beneath the mother while in the open. Females may disperse as yearlings while males may stay until secondary sexual characteristics have appeared (Estes 1991, d'Huart 1993).
Average birth mass: 1250 g.
Average gestation period: 132 days.
Average number of offspring: 5.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 517 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 365 days.
- Estes, R. 1991. Behavior Guide to African Mammals. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press.
- d'Huart, J. 1993. 4.3 The Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni). Pp. 84-92 in W Oliver, ed. Pigs, Peccaries, and Hippos. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN.
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
History
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
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The forest hog is rated 3-4 by IUCN. This means that it has a restricted distribution, is threatened by habitat destruction, hunting pressure or other ecological pressure, however populations are not declining. The subspecies Hylochoerus mienertzhagheni mienertzhagheni has the smallest range, but appears to be relatively secure (Oliver 1993).
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Threats
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Management
Conservation Actions
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
The forest hog is a symptomless carrier of African Swine Fever (ASF), which is lethal to domestic pigs. This disease is transmitted by a tick called the tampan. These suids also can carry the trypanosomes for sleeping sickness (ngana) that is transmitted by the tse-tse fly to livestock and humans. They also transmit rinderpest and are responsible for significant crop damage (Macdonald 1995, d'Huart 1993).
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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
The forest hog is an easy target for hunting, and although among some peoples of the Congo, the eating of H. mienertzhageni is considered to cause calamity, the species is hunted in much of its range, not only for subsistence, but for commercial meat markets. There is also some trade for the ivory of its tusks, and hides were sometimes used for leather.
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material
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Wikipedia
Giant forest hog
The Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni – the only member of its genus) is native to wooded habitats in Africa and generally is considered the largest wild member of the Suidae (pig family; a few subspecies of the wild boar can reach an even larger size).[2] Despite its large size and relatively wide distribution, it was first described only in 1904. The specific name honours Richard Meinertzhagen, who shot the type specimen in Kenya and had it shipped to the Natural History Museum in England.[3]
Contents |
Characteristics
Males reach up 2.1 m (6.9 ft) in length and 1.1 m (3.6 ft) in height, and may weigh as much as 275 kg (610 lb).[4][5] Females are smaller than males, and the eastern nominate subspecies is larger than H. m. rimator of central Africa and H. m. ivoriensis of west Africa.[4] The giant forest hog has extensive hairs on its body, though these tend to become less pronounced as the animal ages. It is mostly black in colour on the surface, though hairs nearest the skin of the animal are a deep orange colour. 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 35 centimetres (14 in).[6]
Distribution
Giant forest hogs occur in west and central Africa, where they are 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. They are mainly found in forest-grassland mosaics, but can also be seen in wooded savanna and subalpine habitats at altitudes up to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft).[5] They are unable to cope with low humidity or prolonged exposure to the sun, resulting in them being absent from arid regions and habitats devoid of dense cover.[5]
Habits
The giant forest hog is mainly a herbivore, but also scavenges.[7] 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.[4] They live in herds (sounders) of up to twenty animals consisting of females and their offspring, but usually also including a single old male.[4] Females leave the sounder before giving birth and returns with the piglets about a week after the birth. All members of the sounder protect the piglets and they can nurse from all females.[6]
As all suids of Sub-Saharan Africa, the giant forest hog has not been domesticated, but it is easily tamed and has been considered to have potential for domestication.[4] However, in the wild the giant forest hog is more feared than the red river hog and the bush pig (the two members of the genus Potamochoerus), as males sometimes attack without warning, possibly to protect their sounder.[4] It has also been known to drive spotted hyenas away from carcasses and fights among males resulting in the death of one of the participants are not uncommon.[6]
References
- ^ d'Huart, J.P. & Klingel, H. (2008). Hylochoerus meinertzhageni. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
- ^ Meijaard, E., J.P. d'Huart, and W.L.R. Oliver (2011). Suidae (Pigs), pp. 248-291 in: Wilson, D.E., and R.A. Mittermeier, eds (2011). Handbook of the Mammals of the World, vol. 2. Hoofed Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4
- ^ Garfield, B. (2007). The Meinertzhagen Mystery: The Life and Legend of a Colossal Fraud. Potomac Books, Washington. Pp. 60. ISBN 1-59797-041-7
- ^ a b c d e f Novak, R. M. (editor) (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 2. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Pp. 1059-1060. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- ^ a b c Kingdon, J. (1997). The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited, London. Pp. 332-333. ISBN 0-12-408355-2
- ^ a b c Huffman, B. (2004). Giant forest hog. Ultimate Ungulates.
- ^ Dzanga Forest Elephants (2008). Departures and Arrivals.
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