Wild boar (Sus scrofa) or wild boar is the wild ancestor of the lower pig farm pigs (Sus domesticus). Regional distribution is in the forests of Central Europe, the Mediterranean (including the Atlas Mountains in Central Africa) and most of Asia to the South in Indonesia. He included a cover Suidae family and bushpig Warthog in Africa, the pygmy hog in northern India, and babirusa in Indonesia.
Boar weight can reach 200 kg (400 pounds) for adult males, and the length can reach 1.8 m (6 ft). If surprised or cornered, they can become aggressive - especially when the adult female is protecting her child - and if attacked will defend itself with its fangs.
Wild boar had become extinct in Britain in the 17th century, but the population has returned in some places, especially in spite of the Weald from the farm.
Physical characteristics
The body of the wild boar is compact; the head is large, the legs relatively short. The fur consists of stiff bristles and usually finer fur. The colour usually varies from dark grey to black or brown, but there are great regional differences in colour; even whitish animals are known from central Asia. During winter the fur is much denser.
Adult boars average 120–180 cm in length and have a shoulder height of 90 cm. As a whole, their average weight is 50–90 kg kilograms (110–200 pounds), though boars show a great deal of weight variation within their geographical ranges. In central Italy their weight usually ranges from 80 to 100 kg; boars shot in Tuscany have been recorded to weigh 150 kg (331 lb). A French specimen shot in Negremont forest in Ardenne in 1999 weighed 227 kg (550 lb). Carpathian boars have been recorded to reach weights of 200 kg (441 lb), while Romanian and Russian boars can reach weights of 300 kg (661 lb). Generally speaking, native Eurasian boars follow the Bergmann's rule, with smaller boars nearer the tropics and larger, smaller-eared boars in the North of their range.
The continuously growing tusks (the canine teeth) serve as weapons and tools. The lower tusks of an adult male measure about 20 cm (7.9 in) (from which seldom more than 10 cm (3.9 in) protrude out of the mouth), in exceptional cases even 30 cm (12 in). The upper tusks are bent upwards in males, and are regularly ground against the lower ones to produce sharp edges. In females they are smaller, and the upper tusks are only slightly bent upwards in older individuals.[citation needed]
Wild boar piglets are coloured differently from adults, being a soft[vague] brown with longitudinal darker stripes. The stripes fade by the time the piglet is about half-grown,arification needed] when the animal takes on the adult's grizzled grey or brown colour.
Litter size of wild boars may vary depending on their location. A study in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the US reported a mean litter size of 3.3. A similar study on Santa Catalina Island, California reported a mean litter size of 5. Larger litter sizes have been reported in Europe.
Reproduction
Sexual activity and testosterone production in males is triggered by decreasing day length, reaching a peak in mid-autumn. The normally solitary males then move into female groups and rival males fight for dominance, whereupon the largest and most dominant males achieve the most matings.
The age of puberty for sows ranges from 8 to 24 months of age depending on environmental and nutritional factors. Pregnancy lasts approximately 115 days and a sow will leave the group to construct a mound-like nest, 1–3 days before giving birth.
The process of giving birth to a litter lasts between 2–3 hours and the sow and piglets remain in, or close to the nest for 4–6 days. Sows rejoin the group after 4–5 days and the piglets will cross suckle between other lactating sows.
Litter size is typically 4-6 piglets but may be smaller for first litter, usually 2-3. The sex ratio at birth is 1:1. Piglets weigh between 750g - 1000g at birth. Rooting behaviour develops in piglets as early as the first few days of life and piglets are fully weaned after 3–4 months. They will begin to eat solid foods such as worms and grubs after about 2 weeks.