The Domestic Pig (Sus domestica)

Jan 04, 2009 Features / Columnists, Interesting Creatures in Guyana

A sow feeds her piglet

Pigs are said to be one the best farmyard animals that have meat (pork) that is suitable for the popular Christmas dish, pepper-pot.

These domestic animals are also referred to as hogs or swine, or are a genus of even-toed ungulates within the family Suidae. The name pig, hog or swine most commonly referred to the Domestic pig (Sus domestica) in everyday parlance but technically encompasses several distinct species, including the Wild Boar.

The male of the pig species is called a boar and the female is called a sow, while the young is referred to as a piglet. With about two billion of these creatures on the planet, domestic pigs are also by far the most numerous of the species.

Pigs are omnivores; this means that they consume both plants and animals. But despite their reputation for gluttony, they are generally social and intelligent animals.

They would however scavenge, and have been known to eat any kind of food including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage and even other pigs. In the wild they are foraging animals primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers.

Occasionally, while in captivity pigs may eat their own young if they become severely stressed. A typical pig has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special bone called the prenasal bone and by a disk in the tip. The snout is used to dig into the soil to find food and is a very sensitive organ.

The anatomy of a pig is made up of a thick body covered with coarse hair, short legs, a snout for a nose, small eyes; a small tail which may be curly, kinked or straight. They are said to have four toes on each foot with the two large middle toes that are used for walking.

Adult pigs in general have a full set of 44 teeth. The canine teeth which are called tusks, grow continually and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other.

Pigs do not have functional sweat glands, so pigs cool themselves using water or mud during hot weather. They also use mud as a form of sunscreen. Mud also provides protection against flies and parasites.

Breeding occurs throughout the year in the tropics, but births peak around rainy seasons. A female pig can become pregnant at around 8-18 months of age. She will then go into estrus every 21 days if not bred. Male pigs become sexually active at 8-10 months of age.

A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 piglets. After the young are weaned, two or more families may come together until the next mating season. Feral pigs like other introduced mammals are major drivers of extinction and ecosystem change.

They have been introduced into many parts of the world, and will damage crops and home gardens as well as potentially spread disease. They uproot large areas of land, eliminating native vegetation and spreading weeds. This results in habitat alteration, a change in plant succession and composition and a decrease in native fauna dependent on the original habitat.

Domestic pigs that have escaped from farms or were allowed to forage in the wild, and in some cases wild boars which were introduced as prey for hunting, have given rise to large populations of feral pigs in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and other areas where pigs are not native. Accidental or deliberate releases of pigs into countries or environments where they are an alien species have caused extensive environmental change.

Their omnivorous diet, aggressive behaviour and their feeding method of rooting in the ground all combine to severely alter ecosystems unuse to pigs. Pigs will even eat small animals and destroy nests of ground nesting birds. The Invasive Species Specialist Group lists feral pigs on the list of the world’s 100 worst invasive species.

And according to reports pigs harbour a range of parasites and diseases that can be transmitted to humans. These include trichinosis, Taenia solium, cysticercosis, and brucellosis. Pigs are also known to host large concentrations of parasitic ascarid worms in their digestive tract.

The presence of these diseases and parasites is one of the reasons why pork should always be well cooked or cured before eating. Some religious groups that consider pork unclean refer to these issues as support for their views.
(Source: Wikipedia – The Free Online Encyclopedia)