Wild boar in nature: all about the life and habits of loppers. The largest wild and domestic boars in the world Another name for wild boar
The boar cleaver is the most famous and popular animal among hunting enthusiasts. A trophy in the form of a head or fangs, hanging on the wall after a successful hunt, pleasantly pleases the eye and adds its own zest to the home interior.
But you need to remember that hunting boar is very dangerous. If the shot is unsuccessful (especially for inexperienced hunters), he can only be wounded. This causes the boar to become enraged; it can attack the hunter and cause serious injury to him.
Appearance
What does a boar look like? The boar is a powerful and strong animal. He has a fairly large build and short legs. A short body with a short tail, a massive sternum and a narrow pelvis. His neck is short, thick, and his skull is wedge-shaped. A boar's nose, like a domestic pig's, has a snout.
The coat is hard and resembles bristles. It ranges from dark gray to brown. With the arrival of winter, it thickens and a dense undercoat appears.
The cleaver has a body with a length of 90-180 cm. Its height at the withers varies from 50 to 110 cm. How much does a boar weigh? It weighs from 50 to 300 kg. The average weight of a boar is 150 kg. The male boar is usually larger and heavier than the female. The maximum speed of the boar is up to 45 km per hour.
How long do wild boars live? The average life expectancy is approximately 10 years, and in captivity - up to 20 years.
The most notable part of the cleaver's body is its fangs. When the boar reaches maturity, they grow up to 25 cm. With them, he obtains food for himself, digging up the ground to extract rhizomes. Cleavers also use their fangs to defend themselves from enemies: bears or wolves.
Types of cleavers
Each region has its own species of wild boar. In Spain, France, and Italy, the Central European or Marem species is common. In Sardinia and Andalusia the Mediterranean boar. There are also Indian, Oriental and many others.
Habitat
Where does the wild boar live? Initially, these animals were seen in the countries of Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Afterwards they appeared on the islands of Britain, Java, Sumatra and many others. Today they live in the forests of Siberia, in some areas of the Irkutsk region, as well as the Krasnoyarsk Territory. You can also meet him in the Moscow region.
The boar's habitat is tropical, mountain forests with high humidity. In our country, it is attracted to oak forests and marshy areas.
Lifestyle
This animal does not have very good eyesight, but has an excellent sense of smell. It can smell a person, especially downwind, at a distance of about 400 km. Strong odors can scare away the animal and disrupt the hunt.
The boar is an animal that lives primarily in a herd. Usually it is inhabited by females with wild boars from last year's hatch. An adult boar leaves it and lives alone. He returns to the herd only for the mating period, taking the place of the leader.
The boar is active at night. During this period, he goes out to have lunch and take water treatments. During the day, he rests in the reeds or in the swamps, hiding in the bushes.
Habits
The habits of a wild boar are quite interesting.
These animals are very sensitive to temperature changes. To avoid sunburn and to protect themselves from various insect bites, they are thoroughly smeared in mud.
An important condition for these animals to live is the presence of a body of water near the rookery.
The habits of wild animals force the boar to stay away from people. They approach populated areas extremely rarely, but forays into fields where oats or corn grow are made regularly.
The boar leads a sedentary lifestyle. During the summer months, it only emerges from its hiding place to feed. Then he comes back again to rest.
In winter, the wild boar's habits do not change. The wild boar also moves little in winter, since the snow does not allow it to go far. The wild boar, despite its clumsiness, is an excellent swimmer.
Gon
The rutting period for wild boars lasts from December to January. An adult male finds a herd of females by smell, sound and tracks. When the wild boars are in season, they return to the herd. After fertilization they leave it again. As a rule, wild boars have several females during the rut.
At this time, the behavior of males becomes aggressive. If a rival comes into the herd, a fight to the death is inevitable. They hit each other with their fangs, causing terrible lacerations. The loser leaves the herd.
The female's pregnancy lasts 120-130 days. Before giving birth, she leaves the herd and looks for a secluded place. Then he builds himself a bed, like a “nest” from branches and dry grass.
A female boar gives birth to 5 to 15 piglets, weighing about 1 kg. Their fur is black or brown with white longitudinal stripes. This color protects babies from attacks by predators. It is better not to approach the female’s den during this period, as she is very aggressive.
Nutrition
What do wild boars eat? The appearance of these animals is quite formidable, so many are interested in whether the wild boar is a predator or not.
In fact, they are practically omnivorous, because wild boars eat different foods at different times of the year:
- The wild boar feeds in the forest, extracting various roots and tubers of bulbous plants from underground. They contain a large amount of useful substances.
- In summer and spring, wild boar feed on green leaves and shoots of plants.
- Its diet includes berries, fruits, acorns, nuts, potatoes and agricultural plants.
- They also feed on frogs, earthworms, insects, larvae, and small vertebrates, and in winter they do not hesitate to pick up carrion.
- In the fall, wild boar also eat acorns, voles, oats and wheat.
Now you know what a wild boar eats.
Natural enemies
Boars have their enemies. These are wolves, bears or lynx. Wolves attack in packs. First, one of them, jumping on top of the boar, throws it to the ground, then the whole flock attacks him. Lynx most often attacks young individuals that have strayed from the herd. She jumps on his back, inflicting severe and fatal wounds.
The bear is the most terrible enemy. Attacking the cleaver, the bear squeezes the animal with its powerful paws, and it dies from broken bones.
Features of hunting
Hunting wild boar is one of the most dangerous activities. You can hunt alone or take part in a hunt. We must not forget about the peculiarities of the habits of wild animals and the fact that he is very large. Its weight reaches 300 kg.
The beginning of the hunting season depends on the places where it lives. From August to January there is hunting for young animals and males. Shooting of females occurs in September and December. You can hunt for cleavers in different ways: from a tower, a pen, with dogs or from the approach.
Video
You will find interesting facts about the life of a boar in our video.
It was he who was once tamed by our ancestors and became the progenitor of numerous breeds of domestic pigs.
2. Initially, these animals were seen in the countries of Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Afterwards they appeared on the islands of Britain, Java, Sumatra and many others.
3. Today they live in the forests of Siberia, in some areas of the Irkutsk region, as well as the Krasnoyarsk Territory. You can also meet him in the Moscow region
4. The boar's habitat is tropical, mountain forests with high humidity. In our country, it is attracted to oak forests and marshy areas.
5. Each region has its own species of wild boar. In Spain, France, and Italy, the Central European or Marem species is common. In Sardinia and Andalusia the Mediterranean boar. There are also Indian, Oriental and many others.
6. The boar is a powerful and strong animal. He has a fairly large build and short legs. A short body with a short tail, a massive sternum and a narrow pelvis. His neck is short, thick, and his skull is wedge-shaped. The nose of a boar, like that of a domestic pig, is snout-shaped.
7. The coat is hard and resembles bristles. It ranges from dark gray to brown. With the arrival of winter, it thickens and a dense undercoat appears.
8. The cleaver has a body with a length of 90-180 cm. Its height at the withers varies from 50 to 110 cm. It weighs from 50 to 300 kg. The average weight of a boar is 150 kg. The male boar is usually larger and heavier than the female.
9.The maximum speed of the boar is up to 45 km per hour.
10. In central Russia, this animal especially loves oak and beech forests, alternating with glades and meadows. Often found in shrubby river valleys and wetlands.
11. The most remarkable part of the body of the cleaver is the fangs. When the boar reaches maturity, they grow up to 25 cm. With them, he obtains food for himself, digging up the ground to extract rhizomes. Cleavers also use their fangs to defend themselves from enemies: bears or wolves.
12. The wild forest boar has long been a symbol of physical strength and fertility among most peoples.
13. Ancient tribes considered boar hunting to be the decisive test for young hunters, and only by killing his first boar did a young man become a man.
14.And on the coats of arms of knightly families, the image of a boar served as an eternal symbol of courage and fearlessness.
15. Due to the interest in hunting wild boars, they are often specially bred on private lands. Gamekeepers protect the wild boars from attacks by poachers.
16. A boar is an animal that lives primarily in a herd. Usually it is inhabited by females with wild boars from last year's hatch.
17. Before farrowing, the female makes a cozy nest with thick walls, soft bedding and a roof made of branches. Piglets spend at least the first two weeks of life in it. A litter usually contains from 5 to 15 piglets, weighing about 1 kg. Their fur is black or brown with white longitudinal stripes.
18. During the first week, the piglets lie in the nest, huddled closely together. In the second week, the pig begins to take the piglets for walks. At the age of up to half a month, seeing danger, wild boar cubs scatter in different directions and lie down in the grass or stand motionless in the thick of bushes, tall grass, reeds - the striped color makes them invisible.
19. From 2-3 weeks, piglets begin to dig the soil, although they feed on mother’s milk for 2.5-3.5 months. Animals grow slowly and reach full development at 5-6 years, although females take part in reproduction from 18-20 months, and males - at 4-5 years of life.
20. The average life expectancy is approximately 10 years, and in captivity – up to 20 years.
21. An adult boar leaves the herd and lives alone. He returns to the herd only for the mating period, taking the place of the leader.
22. Late autumn is the time of boar “weddings”. Simultaneously with the accumulation of autumn fat, cleavers form a kind of subcutaneous armor of connective tissue 2-3 cm thick - kalkan, and this “knight's armor” protects the area from the shoulder blades to the end of the ribs. This is a protective device during the rutting season, when in November-December males fight desperately over females. During this period, they lose up to a fifth of their weight and are severely wounded and exhausted.
23. The habits of wild animals force the boar to stay away from people. They approach populated areas extremely rarely, but forays into fields where oats or corn grow are made regularly.
24. A boar’s mouth holds 44 teeth, while in adult males the fangs, triangular in cross-section, protrude from both sides of the snout. They can reach a length of 25 cm. Sometimes the fangs bend and deviate to the sides. This is a device for digging out the roots of plants and soil insects from the soil, however, animals also use it for defense purposes, inflicting fatal blows to the enemy from the bottom up.
25. The boar's chest is covered with a special thick layer of adipose tissue, which serves as protection from enemies.
26. Boars have their enemies. These are wolves, bears or lynxes.
27.Wolves attack in packs. First, one of them, jumping on top of the boar, knocks it to the ground, then the whole flock attacks him.
28.Lynx most often attacks young individuals who have strayed from the herd. She jumps on his back, inflicting severe and fatal wounds.
29. A bear is very dangerous for a wild boar as a strong and large predator. Hunters and zoologists say that, rising on its hind legs, it covers the prey with its front legs and squeezes it with enormous force, breaking bones. Long claws and powerful fangs are used, and in this fight the boar is almost always doomed to defeat, although in response it inflicts wounds on the enemy with its hooves and fangs.
30. The boar is active at night. During this period, he goes out to have lunch and take water treatments. During the day, he rests in the reeds or in the swamps, hiding in the bushes.
31. An important condition for the residence of these animals is the presence of a reservoir near the rookery.
32. These animals are very sensitive to temperature changes. To avoid sunburn and to protect themselves from various insect bites, they are thoroughly smeared in mud.
33. The wild boar lives in a wide variety of places: from taiga to mountain and tropical forests and deserts.
34. The presence of water is a prerequisite for the life of wild boars, therefore in deserts they are found only in reed thickets along the banks of rivers, lakes and canals.
35. Everywhere, wild boars avoid places with high snow cover, which makes it difficult to move on short legs.
36. The wild boar cleaver is the most famous and popular animal among those who like to hunt. But you need to remember that hunting boar is very dangerous. If the shot is unsuccessful (especially for inexperienced hunters), he can only be wounded. This causes the boar to become enraged; it can attack the hunter and cause serious injury to him.
37. This animal does not have very good eyesight, but has an excellent sense of smell. It can smell a person, especially downwind, at a distance of about 400 km. Strong odors can scare away the animal and disrupt the hunt.
38. The boar leads a sedentary lifestyle. During the summer months, it only emerges from its hiding place to feed. Then he comes back again to rest.
39. In winter, the habits of a wild boar do not change. The wild boar also moves little in winter, since the snow does not allow it to go far. The wild boar, despite its clumsiness, is an excellent swimmer.
40. The wild boar is an almost omnivorous animal, eating rhizomes and plant bulbs, fallen fruits, nuts, acorns, worms and insects, and, on occasion, also other small animals: young from rodent nests, snakes, frogs, chicks and bird eggs. Having discovered carrion, the herd can stay nearby for many days until it gnaws the carcass to the bone.
41. In winter, animals often feed in swamps, where the soil does not freeze. The burrowing activity of the wild boar contributes to the restoration of forests in cleared areas and burnt areas; in addition, it eats a large number of forest pests, such as chafer larvae
42. All eyewitnesses note: only a hunted or wounded boar is aggressive and dangerous. In everyday, peaceful life, wild pigs are very careful, they try with all their might to avoid contact with humans, and if they meet by chance, they simply run away.
43.But it is very dangerous to meet a litter of wild boars in the forest - females during this period fiercely protect their babies and can even be the first to attack possible offenders.
44. There are many known cases of attacks on humans by females guarding piglets, including in the Moscow region. Although the pig has short tusks, it can bite a person to death or trample him to death with its sharp hooves.
Boar looking for truffles
46. In countries such as Italy and France, these animals are taught one very difficult task - to look for truffles in the ground. And truffles are representatives of the most expensive mushroom in the world. In this case, the responsibility for collecting mushrooms falls on these animals.
47. When moving, the boar relies not only on the two middle ones, but also on the first and fourth fingers, and traces of them remain on solid ground. On soft ground, all four fingers move apart, increasing the supporting area. Thanks to this structure of the limbs, wild boars can easily move through swampy soil and shallow snow without falling through.
48. Boars live in small groups led by females. Males can also live in a herd until they reach one year and six months, then the leader kicks them out, and the males begin to look for their own place to live and food.
49.Very often males can unite in their own groups. In November or December, a strong male seeks the right to join the herd. During the night, a herd can travel up to 5 km, rarely more. But sometimes, when there is a lack of food, wild boars make mass migrations over hundreds of kilometers.
50. In Africa you can also stumble upon these representatives of the animal world. Warthogs live there. This species is notable for the fact that they live in open space, not at all hiding in the grass, as is typical for an ordinary wild boar.
The wild boar, also known as the wild boar and wild pig, is a mammal from the order Artiodactyla, suborder Pigformes, family Pig, genus Boar. This is the ancestor of domestic pigs.
Description
Size
The body length of adult wild boar reaches 175 cm, height is about 1 m. Weight is up to 100 kg, occasionally from 150 to 200 kg.
Body
This animal differs from domestic pigs in its short and dense build, thick and high limbs, long and thin head, longer, sharper and erect ears. The upper and lower fangs are constantly growing and protrude upward from the mouth.
Bristle
The body of a wild boar is covered with elastic bristles, except for the bottom of the neck and the back of the abdomen; on the back there is a kind of mane with a comb from it. In winter, a thick and soft undercoat begins to grow under this bristle.
Color
The color of the bristles is black-brown with a yellowish tint, the undercoat is brownish-gray, so the overall color is regarded as gray-black-brown, the muzzle, tail, legs and hooves are black. Variegated or piebald individuals are occasionally found.
Body Features
The neck is massive, thick, short, the head is large, wedge-shaped, the ears are long, wide, and the eyes are small. A powerful snout with a snout protrudes forward and allows the animal to dig the ground, even frozen, to a depth of 15-17 cm. The tail is straight, 20-25 cm in length, decorated with a tassel at the tip. Makes sounds similar to a domestic pig (grunts and squeals). When running, it reaches speeds of up to 40 km/h. Swims well.
Nutritional Features
What does it eat?
The wild boar is an omnivore and in this regard it is practically the same as a human. Its diet includes mainly plant foods, which vary by season (tubers, roots, rhizomes, bulbs, fruits, acorns, seeds, nuts, berries, mushrooms, tree bark, rags, shoots), as well as various small animals (worms, molluscs, frogs, lizards, snakes, rodents, insectivores, bird eggs and insect larvae), and carrion. Specific food preferences depend on the area of residence and the time of year.
How much does he eat?
An adult wild boar consumes 3-6 kg of feed per day, obtaining the bulk of its food from the forest litter and soil.
Benefit
Loosening the soil by wild boars promotes seed placement and subsequent tree regeneration. These animals also destroy forest pests, which is beneficial.
Harm
In times of famine, wild boars, on the contrary, visit potato and other fields and harm agriculture by tearing up and trampling crops. Sometimes they attack birds and hares, and occasionally fallow deer, roe deer or deer if they are weak or sick.
A number of poisonous plants and snake venom do not affect wild boars.
Where does he live?
The distribution range of wild boar is quite wide. The species lives in deciduous and mixed forests of Europe (from the Atlantic to the Urals), in the Mediterranean region, in northern Africa, in the steppes of Central Asia, in the northeast of Western Asia and in southeast Asia. There are also island populations of wild boar in all the seas and oceans of our planet.
Common types
Since wild boars have a very variable habitat, 16 subspecies have been identified and grouped into 4 regional groups: Western, Indian, Eastern and Indonesian wild boars.
Male and female: main differences
Female wild boars are always slightly smaller in size than males, and their tusks are also not as large and prominent as those of the opposite sex.
Behavior
Wild boar prefer water-rich, swampy areas, both wooded and overgrown with reeds and bushes. These are social animals that form herds with a matriarchal way of life. Old males usually live alone and join the herd only during the mating season.
Group behavior
Females form groups of 10-30 individuals: cubs, young and weak males. The largest herds include up to 100 individuals. These groups move over long distances, but only within their own area of 1 to 4 km² and do not migrate.
Movement and orientation
The wild boar moves awkwardly, but quickly, swims well and is able to swim for quite a long time. Vision is poor: the wild boar does not distinguish colors, and will not see a person who stands 15 meters from it. Orients itself using smell, taste and hearing. The boar is cautious, but not cowardly, but if it is irritated, wounded or protecting its cubs, it becomes truly dangerous and aggressive.
Activity time and rest
Since this animal is susceptible to sudden changes in temperature, it rolls around in the mud a lot to protect itself from insects and burns, and to maintain an optimal body temperature. Wild boars are active mainly at dusk; during the day they lie down in dug holes up to 30-40 cm deep. In the evening they come out, swim and go in search of food.
Reproduction
The wild boar is considered a limited polygamous animal: there are 1-3 females per male.
Mating season
Females usually enter into mating games in the second year of life, and males only in the 4th-5th year. Estrus occurs from November to January, during which time males engage in fierce fights with each other, using their powerful fangs.
Pregnancy
The duration of pregnancy is 18 weeks. In one litter, a female has an average of 4-6, sometimes up to 12, cubs.
Offspring
The weight of a newborn piglet is from 600 to 1650 g. It is striped, with white, black-brown and yellow stripes that camouflage the baby in the forest floor. After 4-5 months the color changes to dark.
The female closely guards the cubs, aggressively guarding them from enemies, and returns to them every 3-4 hours. In the first weeks of life, piglets sit in a kind of “nest”. Gradually they begin to go outside with the female, and at 3 weeks they begin to master the habits of adult boars.
Milk feeding lasts up to 3.5 months. In autumn, young animals reach a weight of 20-30 kg.
Puberty
Sexual maturity in wild boars occurs at approximately 1.5 years, full maturity at 5-6 years.
Natural enemies
In addition to people, wild boar, mainly young animals, are threatened by wolves and lynxes, and in Asia by leopards and tigers, which occasionally attack adult males. Large snakes and birds of prey can also attack baby piglets. In general, the population is stable and is not under threat of extinction or destruction.
- The ancestors of the modern domestic pig are wild boars of Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Europe and China, which people domesticated back in the Neolithic era. According to archaeologists, wild pigs were domesticated in the Middle East 13,000 to 12,700 years ago. At first they were kept in a semi-wild state in the wild, as is the case now, for example, in New Guinea. The remains of pigs were discovered by scientists in Cyprus, where they could only have arrived from the mainland along with people. The first domestic pigs were brought to Europe from the East, after which an active process of domestication of European wild pigs began. It happened quite quickly thanks to the high adaptability and omnivorous nature of wild pigs. These animals were bred for their tasty meat, and their skins (for making shields), bones (for creating tools and weapons) and bristles (for brushes) were also used. In India and China, wild boars ate human waste and were even called “pig toilets.”
The wild boar is a mammal that comes from the order Porciniformes. He is considered the ancestor of the modern domesticated animal, which became such as a result of domestication. The wild boar is a unique animal that lives on almost every continent of our Earth.
Features and description of wild boar
A wild boar has a rooted body, the length of which can be up to one and a half meters. Body height usually reaches 1 meter. The weight of a mature boar can range from 60 to 300 kg.
It depends on whether a female or a male is considered in a particular case. Males have a large head, which is extended forward. The ears are quite large, both in width and height. The snout ends with a heel, which has different sizes.
The body is covered with coarse hair. In winter, additional fluff appears on the body of a wild boar, which prevents it from freezing. There is a certain amount of stubble on the back that stands on end if the animal is in an excited state. Small boars can be striped. A wild boar can eat a variety of plants, which can be divided into groups:
1. Tubers and weeds of plants.
2. The fruits of fruit trees, as well as various berries that grow in the forest.
3. The plants themselves, which are accessible to the wild boar.
4. Some representatives of the animal world (for example, worms or insects that live in the forest).
It is worth noting that the wild boar gets half of its food from the soil, since it contains a sufficient amount for the animal’s life. On average, a large boar can eat about 5 kg. feed in one day.
They are quite mobile and lead an active lifestyle. In summer they love to swim, and in winter they simply run through the forest in search of food. Wild boars lead a herd lifestyle, but there are exceptions in the form of adult wild boars that live separately.
A wild boar with small children also lives separately. You can understand the difference between a pig and a wild boar by looking at photo wild boar. You can also find many on the Internet video about wild boars.
Wild boar habitat
Despite all the facts and speculation, there is only one conclusion - wild boar, which often changes its environment. Wild boar can be found in a wide variety of places in the world.
The wild boar's habitat can be either tropical places with a fairly warm climate or harsh taiga forests. In the mountains, wild boar can be found at any altitude, as well as in some alpine meadows.
It is found in oak and beech forests, as well as in marshy areas. Wild boars also inhabit the Caucasus mountains, and in the fall they visit fruit forests and orchards. Sometimes they can be found in the beds of some rivers, which are surrounded by bushland.
The wild boar's habitat completely depends on the food that is common at one time or another in some areas. Wild boar meat quite dense, and this is served by his diet, which consists of various herbs.
Boars can move and go out to graze in more fertile areas, such as the steppe. They can raid rural areas that are located close to forests and wild boar habitats.
Wild boars that live in the tropics have been virtually unstudied. But those that live in neighboring countries and in the taiga are quite predictable animals. They can live in fairly large areas.
For example, one adult wild boar can occupy an area of up to 15 km, which is a fairly large area. Closer to winter, wild boars can move from higher places on the mountain to the foot.
Sometimes wild boars can travel a distance of more than 100 km. from the place of permanent deployment. Such travel can be caused by various reasons, such as fires or lack of food.
Boars can face various dangers. For example, dangerous flooring found in the forest can injure your feet. Another inhabitant of the forest is also dangerous for him - . One of the global problems is wild boar hunting, which is often carried out simply randomly.
Wild boar meat and recipes
Wild boar meat is one of the purposes of hunting for it. How to cook wild boar Almost every hunter who has at least once brought a carcass home knows this. Many people know recipes from wild boar, but in reality the meat is quite tough.
Wild boar dishes are quite complex in terms of its preparation. It is best to take simple recipes that can be used even by a beginner. Probably the simplest dish that can be made from wild boar meat is stew. To do this you will need lard and animal meat.
You also need to use onions, flour, mustard and seasoning to taste. The meat should be soaked in a solution of lemon juice. Thanks to it, the meat will become tender and ready for further processing.
After stewing, fresh meat should be poured with sour cream sauce. Dishes made from wild boar, like other types of meat, require certain preparation. You can cook wild boar meat over a fire, without special utensils. You don't have to go hunting to enjoy wild meat, you can buy wild boar from a hunter friend.
Is wild boar dangerous for humans?
Wild boar does not pose any potential danger to humans. If you do not enter his territory, then you have nothing to fear. There are cases when wild boar rushes at people, but such cases are rare. If you still have the misfortune of encountering such a phenomenon, then it is best to climb the nearest tree.
Vepr (boar)– a medium-sized animal, belongs to the mammals section. Popularly “wild pig” is a distant ancestor of the domesticated one.
In natural conditions, a boar is a rather dangerous animal. He is able to sense a stranger over very long distances. Protecting your territory is your responsibility.
Boar hunting quite a tempting form of relaxation. Hunters believe that the trophy must include a killed wild boar. Typically, the skins are collected and the meat is cooked.
The well-preserved boar snouts are especially famous; they can often be seen on the walls of famous hunters. Photo goals wild boar posted in many historical sources.
Description and features of the wild boar
Wild boar- this is the order Artiodactyls, the suborder non-ruminants and the pig family. This mammal differs significantly from the domestic pig. The body is dense, knitted and rather short.
The legs are taller and thicker, which allows him to walk great distances. Powerful head, with a long elongated snout, erect and pointed ears. The main advantage wild boar– these are his constantly growing fangs.
Dense and thick bristles cover the entire body. Along the upper edge of the body, the fur forms something like a mane when the boar is wary or frightened.
The color of the animal can be from brown to black - it depends on the location. In cold weather, a layer of down grows under the elongated coat. Color wild boar may vary and depend on the environment.
The well-knit body goes into a short tail with a fluffy brush. Front end wild boar very developed, which allows it to move to distant areas. Body length reaches up to 175 cm, weight ranges from 100 to 200 kg, height at withers up to 1 meter. Females are smaller than males, and their heads also vary in size.
Boar lifestyle and habitat
First known settlements wild boar belong to Southeast Asia. Then they settled across many continents. The appearance of the wild boar has changed over time in color, head and body size.
The habitat is the most extensive of all mammals. A significant part has spread through deciduous and mixed forests, in taiga regions and the steppe zone.
In ancient times, habitat wild boar boar was much wider, now in some places wild boars have completely disappeared. In Russia, the animal is significantly distributed in the Tien Shan, Southern, Caucasus, and Transbaikalia. wild boar can be grouped into four main sections (based on the region of distribution):
* Western;
* Indian;
* Eastern;
* Indonesian.
The reason for the rapid domestication of the animal is its operational adaptability and omnivorous nature. wild boar- This is a social animal, it is normal for them to gather in herds.
There are approximately 1 to 3 females per male. Young animals, females and piglets gather in numerous herds, while older individuals stay apart. A female can have a litter of 6 to 12 piglets. The color is often striped so as to get lost between the leaves and branches.
Wild boar feeding
Feeds wild boar mainly vegetation, of which the diet includes tubers, roots, nuts, berries, acorns, and mushrooms. In cold weather, the animal is forced to feed on larvae, tree bark, bird eggs, and carrion.
If there is not enough food in the forests, they may visit farmlands of potatoes, beets, turnips and grains. Sometimes they cause serious damage to plantings and crops.
When eating forest litter, they often eat pine caterpillars and larvae. Thus, by performing a sanitary bypass, in addition, constant loosening of the earth improves the growth of trees and shrubs.
per day adult wild boar can consume from 3 to 6 kg of feed. Those animals that live near rivers can eat fish. Water is very important in the diet; there should be plenty of it.
Reproduction and lifespan of boar
Adult (average) wild boar can live from 10 to 14 years, in captivity reaches 20 years. At 1.5 years, sexual maturity occurs; females mate from November to January.
A female may have a brood once a year, but it also occurs 2-3 times. The mother guards the piglets very carefully and is always aggressive. After three weeks, the young animals can move independently; breastfeeding lasts up to 3-3.5 months.
What is the difference between a boar and a wild boar?, purely formally, nothing, since this is the same animal. Only boar is a book title, and boar, hog or cleaver - colloquial. They are often used in the hunting lexicon. It can be assumed that it depends on the age of the individual.
When the rut of the beast occurs, the boar can resist until his last breath. wild boar May be killer, but for many hunters this is not a barrier. In pursuit of thrills, they can become confrontational. The boar is able to defend its territory to the end.