''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family
Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in
sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly considered
conspecific
Biological specificity is the tendency of a characteristic such as a behavior or a biochemical variation to occur in a particular species.
Biochemist Linus Pauling stated that "Biological specificity is the set of characteristics of living organis ...
under the scientific name ''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'', but today this is limited to the
desert warthog, while the best-known and most widespread species, the
common warthog (or simply warthog), is ''Phacochoerus africanus''.
Although covered in bristly hairs, their bodies and heads appear largely naked from a distance, with only the crest along the back, and the tufts on their cheeks and tails being obviously haired. The English name refers to their facial
wattles, which are particularly distinct in males. They also have very distinct
tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...
s, which reach a length of in the males, but are always smaller in the females.
[Novak, R. M. (editor) (1999). ''Walker's Mammals of the World.'' Vol. 2. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. ] They are largely
herbivorous
A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...
, but occasionally also eat small animals.
[Kingdon, J. (1997). ''The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals.'' Academic Press Limited, London. ] While both species remain fairly common and widespread, and therefore are considered to be of
Least Concern by the
IUCN, the
nominate subspecies of the desert warthog, commonly known as the
Cape warthog
The desert warthog (''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'') is a species of even-toed ungulate in the pig family (Suidae), found in northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. This is the range of the extant subspecies, commo ...
, became
extinct around 1865.
Species in taxonomic order
The genus ''Phacochoerus'' contains two species. The two species emerged from ecological barriers.
''P. africanus'' were found with a lack of upper incisors, while ''P. aethiopicus'' were found with a full set.
References
External links
*
*
* d'Huart, J.P. & Grubb, P. (2005).
A photographic guide to the differences between the Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) and the Desert Warthog (Ph. aethiopicus).' Suiform Soundings 5(2): 4–8.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3645260
Fauna of Sub-Saharan Africa
Taxa named by Frédéric Cuvier
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
