Most people, having heard that the article will talk about pigs, immediately present plump pink-cheeked pigs with a round heel and a twisted tail. But we are ready to surprise you and want to tell you about the unusual orange-colored pigs that live on the river banks of Africa.
History of origin
For a long time, scientists attributed all the pigs living in the open spaces of Africa to one species. But a detailed analysis of their behavior, appearance and range of their habitat led zoologists to the idea that these are two completely different species - shrub and river (brushtail) pigs. Animals of the first species had a paler color and lived exclusively in the southeast of the mainland.
Description and external data
The river pig has a very unusual and memorable appearance. The body is colored reddish-brown, along the spine there is a strip of snow-white stubble, which at the moments of danger becomes a jerk and visually increases the size of the animal. The head is black, and around the eyes are white stripes that look like a mask or goggles. The stigma has a small crook on the nose, and the little snout is small and very mobile.
Familiarize yourself with the nuances of breeding such breeds of pigs as: white large, Duroc, Mirgorodska, red-belt, karmala, Vietnamese vislobryukhaya.In adult males on the bridge of the nose and between the eyes, small mounds grow, which, as the animal ages, turn into small horns. Long bunches of hard black-and-white hair grow from small ears, and large canines grow from above and below the jaw, and this feature is characteristic of both sexes. The body is small with rounded sides, but without a hanging abdomen, legs strong and short. The tail is long with a neat tassel at the end. Pigs grow up to 100-150 cm long, and up to 50-90 cm in height, their average weight is 50-100 kg, but there are individuals over 120 kg.
Despite the large weight, these animals have a good reaction, and in running speed they can compete with the dog, although bright pigs can run fast only for short distances. The keen sense of smell and good vision allow you to quickly hide from sight, barely sensing danger.Did you know? In pig pigs it is customary to greet each other at a meeting. The animals bend their backs, tilt their heads slightly and guide the ears to a horizontal position.
Habitat
Under natural conditions, this animal can be found in the forests of West and Central Africa. It is this part of the continent, with its humid climate, dense tropical forests and wooded savanna, considered the main habitat of the pig-tailed pigs.
Pork manure can be used to fertilize the garden.
Lifestyle and behavior
These animals are active nocturnal. At this time of day, they carefully examine their territory, the boundaries of which are marked with special secretions of their glands, located under the eyes and in the ears, as well as making incisions with their canines on the trunks of trees and stones. In search of food, they are able to run up to 5 km per day. Their family consists mainly of 5-10 individuals - the male leader and several females with young. In the daytime, they prefer to relax in dense scrubland or in dug ravines and tunnels. 
What to eat
Cousteau pigs are ready to absorb any food, including the carrion they have found. During their travels in search of food, they dig up the edible roots of plants and insect larvae, and they are not averse to eat fruits, leaves, tree bark and often break the nests of small birds. In search of food diversity, bright pigs are able to swim across to the other side of a shallow reservoir. Often river pigs follow the monkeys - they are waiting for the moment when the chimpanzees drop their dainty from the clutches to immediately pick it up.
Did you know? In small pigs of the river pig, at the moment of sudden fright, an interesting protective mechanism works - they fall to the ground and pretend to be dead. As soon as the danger has passed - the piglets miraculously come to life. As they grow older, this ability disappears and it is replaced by the ability to quickly escape into the jungle thickets.You can often find pigs digging in heaps of elephant dung - there they look for nuts, which are considered to be a delicacy for them. Once on the fields cultivated by man, pig pigs are able to eat the whole crop, and also they are not averse to eat small pets: piglets, lambs, and goats.
Enemies in the wild
In the wild, river pigs have few enemies. The main danger is leopards, but human intervention in their habitat and hunting for these wild cats, significantly reduce their number, so in a short time there will be nothing more for the tassels to fear. Other predators, African lions, crocodiles, hyenas and reptiles, also pose a danger to this species of pigs, but their natural scent and good vision in most cases make it possible to leave safe and sound.
Find out why you need castration of pigs, and how to feed pigs.Deforestation and drainage of the marshy banks of rivers and reservoirs also leads to a decrease in their population. However, wild pigs quickly adapt to new living conditions and quickly move to undeveloped territories.
It is also interesting to read about the meat breeds of pigs, and where to start home pig production.
Relationship with a person
In humans, and river pigs, to put it mildly, not the most friendly relations. These animals often visit the fields to feast on human-planted crops such as beetroot, corn, pineapples, or peanuts. When you get to the grape plantations at night, a small group of tassels can completely destroy them. Every year, residents of African villages make many attempts to protect their land from invasions of pig pigs - from hunting for these pests and ending with the scattering of poisoned food. But the sharp scent of pigs quickly recognizes dangerous additives in traps. 
The only way to reduce the number of raids on the plantation was the domestication of wild animals. Locals catch youngsters and place them in enclosures where they grow up in company with other pigs. The behavior of wild tassels raised in captivity is no different from the behavior of their relatives - domestic pigs. If you try to tame an adult, then for some time the wild pig will show aggression to the person and neighbors in the aviary.
Important! River pigs have an aggressive character. The wounds inflicted by the offender make them even angrier, which causes them to fight violently with their last strength.
Breeding season and care for the young
The breeding season begins in September and lasts until April. In the fight for the female, the male tusks make fights - butting their fangs and trying to trample the opponent. The pregnancy of the female lasts 120-130 days, 3-6 striped pigs, weighing 750-900 g, are born at one farrowing. The sow feeds the offspring until they reach 4 months of age. Within a few hours after birth, babies stand firmly on their feet and are able to quickly move behind the mother. All family members, including the leader of the pack, take care of the safety of the offspring.
Important! Especially do not like these dogs pigs, in particular, representatives of hunting breeds. If they meet them on their way, they immediately fight with them, after which they kill and eat their prey.
In case of danger, the whole flock is rapidly hiding among the bushes, and if the young are subjected to predator attacks, river pigs will bravely fight back attackers. Now you know about this amazing kind of animals. Deciding to meet them in person, you will not need to fly to hot Africa - in many zoos in European countries successfully grow these exotic pigs, to the delight of visitors.
