Visayan Warty Pig

MammalPhilippines

Aug 20

Written By Alexander Julius Jensen

Sus cebifrons

A male Visayan warty pig can become four times larger than a female. During mating season, the male uses his tusks for combat and three pairs of warty growths on his face for defence — he also grows a 23 cm (9 in) long mane to attract females. The species is only found on two Philippine islands.

The Visayas Archipelago Pig

From top to bottom; a map of the Visayas, the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, the Kawasan Falls of Cebu, and a view of Negros Island.

The Visayas archipelago makes up the central body of the Philippines. Comprised of six large islands, and many smaller ones encircling them, these tropical realms boast many a stunning natural spectacle. Most of the islands are bisected by high mountains and sculpted into countless hills — such as the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, where, during the dry season, over a thousand mesmerizingly mound-like hills turn chocolatey brown under the torrid sun. The small island of Boracay floats like a white pearl at the archipelago's northwestern tip, rimmed by beaches of white sand and surrounded by waters of crystalline blue. On Cebu, the Kawasan Falls pour down from the island's mountains, cascading over three levels before plunging into a pristine turquoise pool. On Negros and Panay, flat and fertile coastal plains host extensive fields of rice and sugarcane and, as such, dense populations of people. It is on these two islands where a rare and dashing wild pig finds its last refuge.

The Visayan warty pig gets part of its name from its restricted home range. These pigs once lived on all six large islands of the Visayas — in the past, they could have trekked through the Chocolate Hills on Bosol and basked in the clear waters of the Kawasan Falls on Cebu. But, as human populations increased on these islands, pig populations plummeted. 98% of the pig's natural habitat has been destroyed, as farmers pushed into the woodlands, felling trees to plant their crops. As the rainforest soil became quickly unproductive, they would push further and further, destroying more forests and leaving behind unlivable land. With less forest and more fields, the pigs flocked to uproot and eat the crops. Unsurprisingly, they were met with deadly retaliation from the farmers. Today, the Visayan wart pigs survive only on two islands — Negros and Panay in the West Visayas — out of the 7,641 islands in the Philippines.

Warts and All

The other, somewhat belittling, part of this pig's name comes from its appearance — or, at least, the appearance of the males. The faces of mature males are lined with three pairs of warty growths.¹ These "warts" aren't only aesthetic, they're also functional. Mating season for males is a time of courting and combat. Their weapons are the sharp tusks that jut from the sides of their snouts and the warty growths are their armour; protecting their eyes and faces from the jabbing tusks of rival males. The winner of a duel must still attract a female and, for this purpose, every mating season he regrows a 23 centimetre (9 in) long mane, a porcine version of the Elvis hairstyle. The male can already reach a size four times that of a female, but with his flowing mane — which he can erect to make himself appear even larger — he towers over his prospective mates.

However, compared to other pig species around the world, the Visayan wart pig is a bit of a pygmy — likely a symptom of its island home. At about a metre (3.3 ft) long and a weight of between 35 to 80 kg (77 - 175 lbs), it falls far below domestic pigs, which can weigh between 140 and 300 kg (300 - 700 lbs) and even other wild pigs, such as the wild boar, which weighs between 60 and 100 kg (130 - 220 lbs).² Visyan wart piglets are born — one to four piglets to a sow after a four-month pregnancy — with orange-brown fur and a set of horizontal stripes, which allow them to disappear amongst the forest foliage. Between the ages of 7 and 9 months, their stripes fade to plain brown, with only a single white band remaining across the snouts of both sexes.

A Disappearing Habitat

The preferred habitat of these pigs is dense tropical forest, typically below altitudes of 1,600 m (5,250 ft), and where rainfall can be as plentiful as 240 cm (94 in) per year. They roam in family groups called 'sounders', consisting of one male, one or more females, and their piglets. They sniff about with prominent, flexible noses — able to detect food several feet below ground — searching for just about anything that's edible. These pigs are the unwitting groundskeepers of the rainforest. As they dig for tubers, roots, fungi, and invertebrates, they aerate the soil. They disperse the seeds of forest fruits in their droppings. And they even eat carrion, preventing the spread of rot and disease. Thus, through their foraging, they maintain the health of their habitats. After a morning of feeding, a pig family will hit the mud baths, seeking refuge from the midday sun by wallowing in the cool muck. As the sun retreats, giving way to dusk and night, the pigs resume their feasting.

With only 2% of its natural habitat left, it's not surprising that the Visayan warty pig is considered a 'critically endangered' species. Some estimates predict a population of less than 200 individuals, making this one of, if not the rarest pig species in the world. This undoubtedly seems very bleak, but thankfully, the Visayan warty pig seems to breed well in captivity, and several programs have sought to save the species through captive breeding; suitable habitats have been found in national parks on Panay and Negros, into which the pigs were reintroduced. There are signs that the pigs are doing better than they have in the past 20 years, and if left alone by humans — no habitat disruption and no hunting — the species is likely to bounce back.

¹ Several suid species sport such "warts" — not actually warts, but structures made up of bone and cartilage — not least of which are the warthogs. Both species, the common and the desert, have them; in the common warthog, one pair (of the three) can grow as long as 15 cm (5.9 in) in males. As in the Visayan warty pig, the warthogs "warts" protect it during male-on-male clashes during breeding season. Several species of warty pigs, which live on islands throughout the Philippines and Indonesia and are closely related to the Visayan, also have such facial growths.

² The heaviest-ever domestic pig was Big Bill, who, in 1933, set the record at 1,158 kg (2,552 lbs). The heaviest wild pig species is probably the giant forest hog, which, on average, weighs about 270 kg (600 lbs).

**Where Does It Live?**

⛰️ Prefers dense tropical forests but will forage in cultivated fields.
📍 The Philippine islands of Negros and Panay in the West Visayas.

‘Critically Endangered’ as of 11 June, 2016.

IUCN

Size // Medium
Length // Average of 1 metre (3.3 ft), shoulder height is 30 - 45 cm (12 - 18 inches) in females and up to 63 cm (25 inches) in males
Weight // 35 to 80 kg (77 - 175 lbs)
Activity: Nocturnal or Crepuscular🌙
Lifestyle: Social 👥
Lifespan: 10 - 25 years
Diet: Omnivore
Favourite Food: Roots, tubers, and fruits 🍠
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Sus
Species: S. cebifrons

Every mating season, the male Visayan warty pig regrows a 23-centimetre (9-inch) long mane, which he can erect to make himself look even larger. He uses it to attract females.
The "warts" on this pig's face aren't actual warts, but structures made up of bone and cartilage.
The Visayan wart pig isn't very large compared to other pigs. At around one metre (3.3 ft) long and a weight of between 35 to 80 kg (77 - 175 lbs), it falls far below domestic pigs, which can weigh between 140 and 300 kg (300 - 700 lbs) and even other wild pigs, such as the wild boar, which weighs between 60 and 100 kg (130 - 220 lbs).
This pig lives in family groups of one adult male, multiple females and their young. They forage together, using their snouts to sniff out food several feet below the ground, such as tubers, roots, and fungi.
After a morning of feeding, a pig family will hit the mud baths, seeking refuge from the midday sun by wallowing in the cool muck. Once the sun sets and the air cools, they forage once more.
Visayan warty piglets are born with orange-brown fur and a set of horizontal stripes, providing camouflage within the forest foliage. Between the ages of 7 and 9 months, their stripes fade to plain brown, with only a single white band remaining across the snouts of both sexes.
The Visayan warty pig is present in only 2% of its former range and, as such, it is considered a critically endangered species — with estimates of less than 200 individuals left in the wild.