The wild pig of Eurasia and North Africa, now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world after introductions to the Americas and Oceania. Females and young live in family groups.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
Attacks on people are rare but can be serious, causing deep puncture wounds.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mainly nocturnal, coming out into open areas at night to search for food.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
A big-game animal for thousands of years, and the ancestor of domestic pigs.
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, Africa
HabitatForest, Farmland, Wetland, Grassland
ColoursBrown, Black, Grey
SizeLarge
Length153–240 cm
Weight66–272 kg
Legs4
Covered inBristles
Lives ingroups
Lives for10–14 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Native to much of Europe, Asia and North Africa; introduced to the Americas and Oceania, where it is often invasive.
Did you know
The ancestor of most domestic pig breeds.
It probably originated in Southeast Asia and spread across the Old World.
Often confused with
- Pig
The wild boar is the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds.
Compare side by side - Warthog
Both are wild pigs; the warthog is African, with two pairs of upward-curving tusks.
Compare side by side
On these lists
Sources
Last reviewed
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
