Red River Hog
Potamochoerus porcus
Red river hogs live in family groups called sounders. Generalists, they eat just about any food item they find on or in the ground and thrive in habitats ranging from swamps and forests to steppes and savannas.
What They Eat
Roots, bulbs, and fallen fruit are these hogs’ favorite foods. Others include eggs, insects, and small reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Where They Live
Red river hogs thrive in forests and in savannas, swamps, and steppes with plentiful shelter and water. Sometimes they live in farmed areas where they are considered pests.
What They Do
Members of the swine family, red river hogs are social animals. They live in family groups of 12 to 20 (and sometimes up to 100) individuals. Their tusks work like garden hoes to help them dig up roots, insects, and other food from beneath the ground.
How They’re Doing
Red river hogs are plentiful throughout their range, thanks in part to a reduction in population of their main predator, the leopard. When they occur near civilization they may be hunted as agricultural pests.
Where in the World
Africa
Habitat
Prairie/Steppe, River, Lake, Wetland, Savanna, Tropical Forest and Other - cultivated areas
Conservation Status
Animal Facts
Body length: 3–5 feet
Height at Shoulder: 25–30 inches
Weight: 100–250 pounds
Lifespan: Up to 50 years
Taxonomic Category
Mammal, hoofed
Where at the Zoo
- Male red river hogs fight by butting heads and whipping each other with their tails. Their warty faces help protect them from each other.
- Like other members of the pig family, red river hogs have a flat disk made of cartilage at the end of their snout. Muscles in the snout allow them to move the disk around as they search for food.
- Red river hogs fluff out their face hair when threatened. This makes them look larger and more threatening to the enemy.
- The red river hog is one of at least 16 species of swine found around the world.
