Common Warthog

The Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a wild member of the pig family found in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their name comes from the four large, wart-like protrusions found on the head of the warthog, which serve as a fat reserve and are used for defense when the males fight. When startled or threatened, Warthogs can be surprisingly fast, running up to 34 miles per hour. Warthogs sleep and rest in holes usually dug by aardvark. Male warthogs spar to establish dominance and to win mates. Females give birth to three piglets per litter on average. Mother warthogs nurse and care for their offspring until they are about 21 weeks of age, at which point they have to fend for themselves.

The Warthog’s diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs and carrion. Warthogs can weigh between 130 and 330lbs, be 24 to 34 inches in height and be 3 to 5 feet in length.