Wild boar, wild boar, wild pig - all these are the names of one species of animals that are widespread on Earth. Its habitat is vast, it occupies the entire European continent, extending in the north to Scandinavia, and in Asia to the Far Eastern regions and Transbaikalia.
They are found everywhere, up to the tropical zones of the continents, as well as on Sumatra, Java, New Guinea and other islands. Not so long ago, a wild boar inhabited huge North African territories, but as a result of the barbaric hunt for it, the species was completely destroyed. Today, its populations migrate in parts of Argentina, Central and North America. This article will tell about the life of this animal, its habits and preferences.
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The wild boar, whose photo is shown, is a non-ruminant mammal from the suborder of the pig family, which is the ancestor of a domestic pig. Today, more than 25 subspecies of boars are known, but all of them are united by the typical appearance of the animal: a massive head with a wedge forward with wide pointed ears, a snout ending in a patch and small eyes. Depending on the subspecies, the length of his body varies from 1.3 to 1.8 m, height - 0.5-1 m, and weight - from 60 to 170 kg. From time to time, cases of the appearance of powerful individuals are recorded, the weight of which reaches 250-275 kg.
Of course, this is a huge boar billhooker - an animal with incredible strength and a terrifying look. Experienced hunters often embellish the size of their trophies. Nevertheless, in November last year, the media reported on the appearance in the Urals region of this giant - a wild boar weighing more than half a ton and a 2-meter height at the withers. If this is true, then this is the biggest wild boar.
Wool
The body of the boar is covered with thick stiff and elastic bristles, which become longer in winter with the onset of cold weather. In addition, a warm subsurface grows, warming the wild boar in cold weather. Along the ridge along the back, the wool is laid in a comb, which is invisible in a calm state and stands on end when danger arises. The color of the animal is different - gray, black or earthy brown. Piglets often have a caricature-striped color, but it is she who saves them in a motley undergrowth.
Lifestyle
The boar chopper adapts itself to life in various places - both in the impassable wilds of the Siberian taiga and in tropical rain forests. It is found in deserts and highlands. European beech and oak forests, replaced by meadows and swamps, are especially loved by these animals. They do not bypass the Caucasus, with its fruit and nut groves. The boar billhook migrates along the valleys of mountain rivers, completely covered with shrubbery. In areas of the Far East, he prefers pine forests and mixed forests. Extracting forage, the wild boar constantly wanders from place to place. In summer, it can cover up to 8 kilometers per day; in winter, the duration of the transition depends on the amount of snow and its density.
For example, a snow cover height of 30-40 cm is critical for the beast, because it has short paws, and a caked one will injure the animal's legs. Often in difficult years, when there is little natural food, boars raid agricultural lands.
Wild boars are careful, they rest in the thickets of the bush, laying in the summer on forest litter, under rocks or in the shade of trees. In winter, they arrange laying out of branches, needles, moss or rags in places protected by tree crowns. From here they go out in search of food and eat whatever they find. But such an omnivore does not prevent them from having food preferences.
What do wild pigs eat?
Treats for boars are tubers and rhizomes of plants, which they extract by breaking the soil with a snout. Note that the boar's snout is a unique tool that provides excellent sense of smell and is a means of obtaining food, because more than ¾ of all prey it finds with its help. During the day, a large boar chopper is able to eat about 6 kg of feed. In summer and autumn, the diet of wild boar is diversified by berries, nuts, various seeds, and in winter, in conditions of lack of food, he is satisfied with the bark of trees and shrubs.
Wild boars do not disdain small reptiles, lizards, worms, rodents and even carrion. Boar eat differently in different territories, consuming the food that is available. The size of the habitat also depends on the availability of feed and its degree of availability.
Breeding
From November to January, the mating season or rut begins at the wild boars: males look for females and often arrange fights, causing each other very noticeable damage. By the end of the mating season, they lose weight up to 20%. Young females reach puberty by 1.5-2 years of age, males by 4.5-5 years of age.
The female carries offspring a little more than 4 months, an average of 130 days, farrowing occurs in the spring. Young females bring 5-6 piglets in a litter, old ones - 8-12. Before farrowing, they arrange comfortable nests, insulated on all sides and covered from above with dry grass, small twigs and twigs. Piglets born in the first week do not leave the nest, and pig-moms take care of them and feed them every 3-4 hours, and although they periodically go away in search of food, they return to the babies at night. After 7-10 days, the piglets exit the nest and accompany the mother everywhere, when there is the slightest danger, hiding in the grass or windbreak.
From the age of two weeks, they begin to learn to dig. The feeding period lasts up to 3.5 months.
