Today’s Wildlife Wednesday is Warthog Friday!
In the bush beauty stakes the warthog has suffered a raw deal: a head that is disproportionately big for the body, wart-ish lumps on either side of the face and jaw, a mostly bald body, the spine distinctly bristled and giving way to a tassle- mounted tail. There is something to be said for this unmistakable feature; the tail is always held high and visible to the rest of the group on the move.
There is nothing graceful about their springy trot and when threatened by lion or leopard, they go into reverse at high speed sharp lower tusks to the fore, and until they find a hole to roll into. Relatively myopic as they are a highly developed sense of smell and acute hearing come in handy.
The warthog’s healthy survival rate is perhaps testament to this effective defense. Significant also to survival is the pig’s capacity to live without water for several months. They snuffle around on caloussed knees searching for roots and insects.
The boars keep to themselves, the sows and piglets stick to their own nursery group. This is with the obvious exception of the mating season when bloody battles are fought: a muscle-bound 250 pound hog will compete ferociously for a sow or two.
It compensates somehow that they are generally thought of as intelligent, also adaptable and explorative non-territorial creatures. But it does remain a puzzle why they have four toes but only ever get about on two.
