The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa. The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform. It has been assessed as the least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to a diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. The Wild boar has a long history of association with humans, having been the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia.
The Wild Boar is an omnivorous animal, and 90% of its diet is young leaves, berries, grasses, and fruits. It also unearths roots and bulbs with its hard snout. They will, however, eat almost anything that will fit into their mouths and supplement their diet by eating eggs, mice, lizards, worms, and even snakes. Wild Boars will also finish off the abandoned kill of another animal.
Due to their large distribution, Wild Boars are prey to numerous predators of all shapes and sizes. Large felines such as leopards, lynxes, and tigers are among the most common predators of the Wild Boar, along with other large carnivores like wolves, bears, and humans.
- The Wild Boar is the ancestor of common domestic pigs.
- Pigs don't sweat, which is one reason they need to cool off in water and mud wallows.
- Males have a top tusk to sharpen the bottom one!
- The Wild Boar's closest wild relative today is the bearded pig in Malaysia.
- Coloration varies: brown, black, red, or dark grey, generally depending on the boar's location. For example, Wild Boar in Western Europe tend to be brown, while those in Eastern European forests can be completely black.
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