Wild Hogs/Mega Hogs
Taxonomy: Animalia – Chordata – Mammalia – Artiodactyla – Suidae – Sus scrofa.
Common Names: Wild Boar, Wild Pig, razorbacks, European boars.
Localities: Wild boar are found worldwide. Native to the Mediterranean Region,
Central and Northern Europe, and most of Asia. They have been introduced to most other parts of the world, especially the Americas and Australasia originally for hunting, similiar to the introduction of the fox for fox hunting.
In 1493 it was recorded that Christopher Columbus brought 8 hogs to the West Indies, and mid- 16th century importations by Hernan Cortes, Hernando de Soto, 20th century sport hunting stock which may have been the start of the spread in the Americas. As they’ve escaped to the wild, the numbers are phenomenal in areas where they are not naturally habitated booming to a problem in some areas. Reproduction varies from region, leading to an over-abundance to extinction. Wild boards vanished from the United Kingdom by the 13th century, Denmark by the 19th century, and early 20th century in Germany, Austria, Italy, the Sudan, Russia, and Tunisia due to over-hunting. Since escapes from farms occured in Australia-asia, the Americas, and parts of Europe – the wild populations have been booming in some areas.
Description:
Wild pigs, also known as wild boar, are a species of pig known as Sus scrofa from the family Suidae. There are many sub-species within his family and is closely related to the domesticated pig found on many farms across the world. The different sub-species can be determined by the relative lengths and shapes of their lacrimal bones. Named “Sus scrofa” by Linnaeus in 1758. “Boar” is the technical naming of the adult male of certain species, but for the “wild boar” reference, it applies to the whole species. The wild boar has a 90-200 centimeter long by 55-110 centimeter tall compact body with dark gray to black stiff bristled fine fur, with a very large head, a 15-40 centimeter long tail, and short legs. On average, the normal wild boar weighs between 50-90 kilograms (upwards of 100-250 lbs, though “mega hogs” have been found weighing close to a 1,000 lbs). Size, color, and weight varies from environmental regions around the planet. Unusually large specimens have been found in the Americas, Russia, France, Tuscany, Romania, and Russia ranging from 400-1000 lbs in weight. The fur becomes denser in winter, and thinner in summer. When not hunting in the early morning, late afternoon, or night they lounge, sleep, and rest. The adult males grow tusks, which are actually very large 6-12 centimeter upper and lower canine teeth protruding from the mouth that are used by the beast as a tool and weapon. These males are often solitary until breeding season. Females however, live in groups of 20-50 individuals called “sounders” and have very sharp smaller canines that do not protrude from the mouth. Males will fight other males for dominance over the females in the sounders based on their testosterone production leading to increased sexual activity peaking in the middle of Autumn. Pregnancy lasts approximately 115 days, where from 1 to 3 days before farrowing the preggie female will leave the sounder to creat a mound-like nest of dirt and foliage to give birth. Delivery takes 2-3 hours with litters of 2-6 piglets remaining in nest for 4-6 days. Sows will rejoin the sounder in 4-5 days cross suckling young amongst the group of lactating females. The baby piglets range in different color sequences, ranging from cream striping to marbled chocolate descriptions until gaining a full adult color by age 6 months. Puberty lasts 8-24 months from birth ranging on nutrition and environment. 
Diet: Generally nocturnal, foraging in early morning, late afternoon, or evening they eat just about anything they encounter ranging from nuts, grasses, berries, birds, roots, tubers, insects, small reptiles, and some Australian species known to take down lambs and deer.
Predators & defense: The wild boar’s prime predator is humans. In other areas, they are feeded upon by large cats such as tigers, cougars, and panthers. Wolves and coyotes hunt the piglets though on occasion take adults. Striped hyena also feed on boars in Northwest Africa, he Middle East, and India. Young piglets are preyed upon by pythons and other large snakes, larger birds of prey, various wild felids, alligators, and crocodiles. Larger hogs have been taken by alligators and crocodiles. Some American black bears and grizzlies have been known to take down wild boars for food. If cornered, trapped, or surprised, especially with their young, they will become vicious and defensive. Males lower their heads before charging and moves upwards with their tusks to slash their victim. Females charge with head up, mouth wide open, reading to bite their foreseen threat.
Use by humans: Boar hair from the back of the neck was originally used to create the bristles on toothbrushes until synthetic materials such as plastic replaced it in the 1930s. Boar hair has been also used to make shaving brushes, hair brushes, and paintbrushes. Boar hair paint brushes are best treasured for oil paintings. Boars are farmed for meat, common in restaurants and butcher shops in France and Italy.
