What is another name for a wild boar? Boar - wild pig

The wild boar, also known as wild boar, or wild pig, boar, wild boar and others, belongs to the family of mammals. The term boar is also used to refer to the male domestic pig, which is the descendant of wild boar.

Description of boars

The body of a wild boar is covered with bristly, clipped, cut, blackish or brown coarse hair. In a standing position, the size of the animal reaches 90 centimeters from the shoulder, it is quite tall. Wild boars are predominantly school animals, living in small groups. With the exception of old individuals who stay apart. These animals are very fast, omnivorous and good swimmers. Wild boars are predominantly nocturnal. They have sharp tusks, and although these mammals are not usually aggressive, they can be extremely dangerous. An attack by a wild boar can have serious consequences, and even death.

This is interesting! Catching a wild boar is an honorable and extremely dangerous task. In some parts of Europe and India it is still hunted with dogs as before, but the non-modern spear is largely replaced by a pistol or other firearm.

Since ancient times, due to its incredible strength, speed and ferocity, the wild boar has been one of the favorite animals for hunting. Both the general excitement of the chase and trophy meat, skin and head of a boar, which is great for making stuffed animals for the wall, are valued. Rarely will a hunting lodge be complete without his gloomy face on the wall. And boar meat has long been considered an exquisite trophy delicacy. In Europe, the boar is one of the four heraldic beasts of the chase, which was depicted on the insignia of Richard III, King of England.

Appearance

Wild boars belong to the family of pigs, artiodactyls, but not ruminants. Despite their close relationship, wild boars differ in many ways from the ordinary domestic pig. This is due to living conditions, due to which nature has awarded wild boars with some superiorities for self-defense and endurance for survival.

The boar has a shorter and denser body. The thickened and elongated structure of the legs allows the animal to move long distances over rough terrain without much difficulty. The boar's head is also slightly modified. It has a more elongated shape in the snout area. The ears stand straight up almost on the top of the head. Also, the head of this wild animal is equipped with the main advantage for survival in the wild - two sharp fangs that are constantly growing.

Boar's fur is thicker. It has the consistency of coarse bristles, forming from time to time on the top of the body a kind of mane, which appears if the animal is frightened or is preparing to attack. The color of the wool itself can be modified depending on the area in which a particular boar lives. Wool is given to animals not only for warmth, but also for camouflage, and this is what happens in this case. The color palette of wild boars varies from black raven to brownish brown.

In the direction from front to back, the boar's body becomes narrower. At the back is a small, thin ponytail topped with a tousled woolen tassel. The front, large half of the body is extremely well developed, which makes it possible for a wild boar not only to move long distances, but also to surpass the enemy in pursuit if necessary.

The total body length can reach 180 centimeters. The weight of an adult animal reaches from one hundred to two hundred kilograms, depending on its habitat, diet and species. The size at the withers in particularly large individuals reaches 1000 centimeters in height.

Character and lifestyle

It's easy to make a boar as a pet. Which, in fact, is what happened to the most ancient descendants of our domesticated, well-fed and extremely appetizing pigs. They show signs of sociality, which is why they easily gather in herds, staying in groups.

This is interesting! Basically, a boar herd consists of a group of females with their young. According to statistics, there is only one male for every three females. Old boars prefer to stay apart; as they age, they develop cartilage-like armor on their sides, which gives them an advantage in battle.

The protection of territories and offspring is exclusively carried out by the male. But at the same time, do not underestimate the female - the mother, next to whom her babies are. The female with the cubs next to her is the most dangerous of the wild boars, as she is extremely aggressive towards any uninvited guests. Even though her fangs are a little less pronounced, she can easily trample her opponent by leaning on him with the front part of her body and hooves, causing serious injuries.

How long do wild boars live?

Average statistical data indicate that the life expectancy of boars ranges from twelve to fourteen years. It is surprising that these animals, unlike many others, live longer in the wild. Their pre-death record age reaches about twenty years. The wild boar reaches sexual maturity at the age of one and a half years. Mating usually occurs in November-December-January.

Sexual dimorphism

The female boar is smaller than the male. They also have a noticeably smaller head and less pronounced fangs.

Types of wild boars

Depending on their territorial distribution, wild boars or wild boars are divided into species. These are Western, Eastern, Indian and Indonesian representatives of the fauna. Boars are also divided into nine species.

African river brush-eared pig, bearded pig of the mangrove forests of Indonesia, babirussa, African savanna inhabitant - warthog, wild boar from Asian and European forests, Madagascar small brush-eared pig, greater African pig, as well as dwarf and Javan pig. All these species have minor external differences due to the habitat of each of them.

Range, habitats

The habitat and distribution of wild boars is the most extensive. You can meet these muscular predators both in deciduous and coniferous-deciduous forests, as well as in steppe zones and taiga regions.

In some places it was completely exterminated. The largest representative of the species is the European wild boar, which lives in forests from Western and Northern Europe and North Africa to India, the Andaman Islands and China. It was developed in New Zealand and the United States by crossing large domestic pigs with native wild species.

Boar diet

Despite its potential aggressiveness, the boar menu is predominantly vegetable. He is not averse to eating roots, acorns, root vegetables, berries and mushrooms, as well as all kinds of nutritious tubers. In times of food shortage, for example, with the onset of cold weather, the boar switches to more nutritious food. For example, carrion, bird eggs, larvae found in the ground and under the bark of trees, as well as the bark itself.

This is interesting! An adult boar consumes from three to six kilograms of food per day. Boars need daily a large number of water. Coming to the mouths of rivers and lakes for it, wild boars can also feast on freshly caught fish.

Boars benefit the forest. Eating plant litter in the occupied territory, they, along with foliage, grass and roots, eat all kinds of pests, larvae and insects, thereby carrying out sanitation work. In addition, they constantly dig the ground with their fangs and powerful nickels in search of food, which has a beneficial effect on its quality.

Reproduction and offspring

In one litter, the female gives birth to six to twelve pigs. Their striped coloration helps them camouflage themselves among the foliage and branches of the area they occupy. As a rule, there are no more than one brood per year. However, there are also cases of 2-3 births in females. It depends on the climatic conditions wild boar habitats. Breast-feeding newborn piglets last until three or three and a half months. As a rule, already in the third week of life, piglets are quite active and can move independently. Despite this, the mother is constantly aggressive towards any uninvited guests. The warlike female carefully protects her offspring.

Don't underestimate its capabilities. Even a female wild boar is capable of defending itself to the last or giving chase. An already wounded animal will not stop fighting the offender until its last breath. And with piles of muscles and sharp fangs, this is extremely dangerous for the boar’s opponent. Although for most avid hunters - thrill-seekers, this is not a problem at all.

Wild boars can also be bred in captivity. To do this, it is important to choose the right boar. When selecting it for a breeding program, factors such as origin from a particular species of non-deficient herd, performance, stability and conformation, age at puberty and other relevant parameters associated with potential intended breeding should be taken into account.

This is interesting! The genetic background of the boar must be suitable for the intended intended use. The selection of sires with hereditary defects such as umbilical or inguinal hernias, cryptorchidism, rectal prolapse can be avoided by careful analysis of the initial herd production data.

All boars to be used in the breeding program must, at a minimum, be seronegative for brucellosis. In addition, all male boars must be isolated and acclimatized for at least 45-60 days prior to mating and tested (or retested) for diseases dangerous to other relatives before being introduced into the herd. If boars from large litters (more than 10 piglets) that reach puberty early (5½–6 months) are selected for, they will typically produce high-yielding piglets that also reach puberty at early age. Performance parameters such as feed efficiency and average daily gain are also highly heritable indicators.

Skeletal conformation and consideration for actual or potential locomotor dysfunction must be determined. Any painful deviation that may prevent the boar from approaching the female, establishing a foothold, successfully breeding and ejaculating should be identified in advance. For example, acute or chronic musculoskeletal conditions can cause pain that makes the boar seem uninterested in the installation. Boars are usually selected as breeding prospects for a period of 3-6 months.

The wild boar, or as it was called in Rus' in the old days, the boar (from the word ferocious) is the closest relative of our domestic pig, although it bears little resemblance to it.

Unlike a pig, a boar is slimmer, higher on its legs and has thick hair, consisting of underfur and long bristles. The large wedge-shaped head on a short neck makes up almost a third of the body length. The muzzle ends with a cartilaginous snout, with which the animal is able to dig the soil and even move large stones.

The jaws of a male wild boar, or, as hunters call it, a cleaver, are equipped with large, up to 10-12 centimeters, fangs. They stick out and are a formidable weapon. In females, the fangs are poorly developed and covered by the lips. The body length of a large cleaver can exceed two meters. Females are much smaller than males. The average weight of an adult animal is from 80 to 150 kilograms, but some individuals reach 250 and even 270 kilograms.

Wild boar is widespread in the southern and middle lane our country. Thanks to conservation measures and artificial resettlement, the species' range has expanded in recent decades. Currently, the animal is found in the Baltic republics, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and in the western and central regions of the RSFSR. IN last years penetrated into Vologda, Kirov, the southern part of the Arkhangelsk region and the Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. It also lives in the Caucasus, in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, certain regions of Western Siberia, Altai, Sayan Mountains, Transbaikalia and the south of the Far East.

Wild boars inhabit a wide variety of lands. The main condition for their existence is the availability of accessible food and dense thickets. Animals find such conditions on the banks of rivers, lakes, and especially in the deltas of large southern rivers. They populate different types lowland forests with swamps and ponds, as well as mountain forests (oak, beech and cedar), up to alpine meadows.

The distribution of wild boar to the north is limited to deep snow: a massive and overweight animal is relatively short legs usually falls into the snow all the way to the ground.

The wild boar is well adapted to the aquatic environment, to moving through dense thickets and marshy soil. It swims well thanks to its narrow, laterally compressed, streamlined body, easily penetrates reed supports and thorny bushes, and easily walks through marshy swamps, since the well-developed outer (second and fifth) fingers increase the area of ​​its support.

The wild boar, like all inhabitants of dense thickets, has poorly developed eyesight. But his senses and hearing are exceptionally sharp: the animal picks up the smell of a person on the wind at a distance of several hundred meters.

The behavior of a wild boar sensing danger was well described by a zoologist A. A. Sludsky:“When a wild boar feeds, it rhythmically waves its tail, but as soon as it notices danger, the tail hangs or raises a question mark, the animal stops feeding and, raising its muzzle, pulls the air with force, causing a strong sniffing to be heard” (A. A. Sludsky. Boar (morphology, ecology, economic and epizootological significance, fishing, Alma-Ata, 1956, p. 218).

When feeding, these animals usually move against the wind in order to sense danger in advance. However, in the hot summer they sometimes fall asleep so soundly that they allow them to come close to them. In Transcaucasia, I happened to enter a herd of sleeping boars. The frightened animals jumped up with loud hoots and ran away in different directions, probably never understanding what bothered them.

In summer, wild boars feed throughout the night, leaving to feed before sunset. In winter, especially in severe frosts, they are active during the day and feed during the warmest hours of the day.

Wild boars do not form large groups. In summer, a herd of wild boars consists of one or two broods, which are joined by immature yearlings and young males that have not participated in the rut. Only in autumn, in places where fattening food is warmed, for example in oak forests during the period of mass acorn fall, do animals concentrate in a limited area.

They gather in large herds in winter, making it easier for them to withstand deep snow. In the deep snow, the animals walk in single file behind the large cleavers breaking through the road. At this time they move little, the herd often stops somewhere in the thickets near the swamp, and there the animals fill whole labyrinths of passages.

In summer, wild boars lie down for the day right on the ground, tearing up the forest floor in dense thickets. In the cold season, they make “nests” for themselves in the form of large heaps of forest litter - leaves, branches, grass, moss. In severe frosts, they lie down on the nest in a group, and sometimes the whole herd, huddled together. In such a den a special microclimate is created. The female also builds a similar nest-den before farrowing.

Boars are polygamous (a male mates with several females). Their rut usually occurs in December. A month or two before the rut, a “kalkan” begins to form under the skin on the shoulder blades of adult cleavers - a kind of shell (a formation of connective tissue two to three centimeters thick) that protects the animal from the sharp fangs of rivals during mating tournaments.

During the rut, the cleaver, having won three to five, rarely more, females, walks with them, not letting other males near.

After the end of the rut, old loppers leave the herd and live alone. They do not participate in raising young animals.

Pregnancy in a female lasts about 140 days. In the spring, before farrowing, she looks for a secluded place and makes a nest there for future offspring. Here she gives birth to five or six (sometimes up to 12) piglets weighing 600-1000 grams each. Piglets have brown stripes running from the nape to the tail along their gray-yellow fur, camouflaging them well among forest vegetation. In mid-summer, when the juvenile hair molts, the striping disappears. For the first week, the piglets remain in the nest, then they begin to walk with their mother, and at the age of one month they are already digging the ground and little by little getting food for themselves, although they continue to feed on milk until two and a half to three months. When they grow up, the mother returns with them to the herd.

Sexual maturity in young females occurs at the age of two. Males take part in the rut only when they are fully mature, at four to six years of age. Previously, old cleavers did not allow them to participate in the rut. The lifespan of wild pigs is approximately 20-30 years.

Wild boars are omnivores, but their diet varies in different parts of their range. In the mountain forests of the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far East, the main food is acorns, nuts, chestnuts, hazel, and wild fruits. In the deltas of large rivers and in the lowland forests of the middle zone, they eat rhizomes, tubers, bulbs and green parts of various plants, mushrooms and berries. Throughout their range, wild boars consume animal food: earthworms, mollusks, insects and their larvae, clutches and chicks of birds nesting on the ground, mouse-like rodents and their nests; They fish in drying reservoirs, willingly eat carrion, gnawing and crushing even large bones with strong jaws, and sometimes attack wounded or weakened animals. Often, especially in the southern regions, animals go out onto cultivated lands, where they eat melons, potatoes, peas, millet, oats, buckwheat, rice, corn. At the same time, they trample a lot of plants and disrupt the irrigation system, which is especially harmful to rice plantations.

In the post-war years in Azerbaijan, I visited farms where rice and corn were grown in wild boar habitats. The crops on these farms had to be guarded at night. To do this, special towers were built among the fields, on which night watchmen periodically pounded copper basins, buckets and other similar objects to scare away wild boars. And yet, despite the noise, screams and constantly burning fire, the animals penetrated the crops. According to my observations, during these raids they showed a certain intelligence. Sitting in ambush, I heard a wild boar, accompanied by the noise “accompaniment” of the guards, breaking corn or slurping in a rice plantation. But as soon as the screams and noise died down, the animal stopped feeding and froze, listening. One day the watchmen, having invited me to hunt, decided not to make any noise so as not to disturb me. They could hear the wild boars moving through the thickets near the plantation, but they never went out to the crops: the unusual silence alarmed them.

In some areas, wild boars also cause damage to forestry. By digging up the surface layer of soil with their snouts when obtaining food, they cause damage to the natural regeneration of the forest, and sometimes destroy forest crops.

In the central regions of the European part, in recent years, when wild boars have populated almost all suitable land, there has been a sharp decline in the number of upland game, as animals destroy clutches of birds.

In some areas of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, muskrats suffer from wild boars: they destroy their huts. For example, on the Amu Darya, according to zoologist V.S. Pokrovsky, in some reservoirs wild boars destroyed up to 100 percent of the huts over the winter.

When digging them up, the animals eat fresh food, which the muskrat takes from the bottom of the reservoir, as well as part of the walls of the hut, covered from the inside with mold that attracts them. Wild boars destroy especially many huts during cold periods, when the soil freezes and the availability of natural food is limited.

The wild boar's worst enemy everywhere is the wolf. Piglets can be attacked by lynx, and in the Far East, harza.

The tiger, which once inhabited the south of our country from Transcaucasia to the Far East, existed mainly at the expense of wild boar. And now this predator has survived only in those areas of Sikhote-Alin where there are many wild boars.

Wild boars are often exposed to pestilence from various epizootics, but their numbers are quickly restored due to their high fertility.

Rice. 39. Boar hoof prints. While walking, the back hoof usually hits the imprint of the front hoof.

Rice. 40. Traces of wild piglets.

Unlike adult animals, the second and fifth toes of piglets do not leave this line; they were literally worn out by wild boars and had to be replaced.

Rice. 41. Hoof prints of an elk (left) and a wild boar. There is a noticeable difference in the location of the second and fifth fingerprints

When moving, the wild boar relies not only on the two middle fingers, like most ungulates, but also on the two outer ones (the second and fifth), and traces of them remain even on hard ground. The outer toes of the wild boar are very mobile and widely spaced. They leave imprints on either side of the hoof print. When walking on soft ground, deer or elk also have noticeable marks of the outer toes, but unlike wild boars, they are smaller, located next to each other and behind the hoof print. In piglets in the first months of life, the outer toes do not serve as support fingers and do not leave imprints.

Rice. 42 Traces of a wild boar: a - on the move, b - at a trot, c - in a quarry

Boar tracks can be distinguished from the tracks of other ungulates by the ratio of the size of the hoof print and the length of the step. For example, a wild boar has a shorter stride than a moose calf, and its hoof prints are twice as large.

The size of the footprint of an adult wild boar can reach 15-18 centimeters with approximately the same width between the outer toes. The stride length of an adult animal at a slow pace is about 40-50 centimeters, and the prints of individual tracks are located in a waddling pattern, in a “herringbone” pattern, because the animal spreads its legs widely. When a boar trots, the distance between individual prints increases to 90 centimeters and they stretch out almost in a straight line. When moving at a walk or trot, he places his hind legs in the tracks of his front legs. When running fast, galloping or galloping, the animal lifts its hind legs behind its front legs, and they are placed not side by side, but somewhat diagonally from each other. The boar's jumps at this gait are equal to one and a half to two meters.

The presence of wild boars is also revealed by piles of their droppings. They consist of cakes stuck together with a diameter of two and a half to three centimeters, shaped like a scattered stack of coins. In the summer, when the wild boar eats succulent food, its droppings are more liquid and shapeless.

Strengthening the protection of hunting grounds, the acclimatization of wild boar in many hunting farms and the reduction in the number of wolves have led to an outbreak of reproduction of this species in the central zone of our country. Currently, the wild boar lives not only in dense forests or impassable swamps, but also among agricultural lands and in close proximity to large cities.

The number of this prolific animal can reach a high level in a short time, and in this case it begins to cause damage to the human economy. In this regard, the number of wild boars should be regulated by timely shooting of the required number of individuals.

A large, but very agile animal that lives in forests, is familiar not only to hunters. The boar, cleaver or wild boar is the hero of many mythical stories. From the article you can learn about its habitats, habits and lifestyle. Photos of the animal will help you create a complete image.

According to the classification, the boar belongs to the order of artiodactyls and the family of pigs. However, wild animals are very different from domestic pets.

The boar looks like this:

One of the features of the boar is the presence of a “kalkan”. This is a thickening (up to 4 cm) of the skin layer in the back of the neck of males. In cross section it resembles cartilage or callus. The area of ​​skin thickens during the rut and serves as a kind of armor during battles for the “beautiful ladies.” Females do not have such thickening.

Despite its large size, the boar is dexterous and agile. The cleaver reaches speeds of up to 40 km/h and is capable of running up to 10 km without rest. Boars swim well and jump over obstacles. Adult loppers effectively defend themselves against wolves, bears or tigers using their fangs. Not every large animal will dare to attack a wild boar. Even in photographs, his ferocity is always noticeable.

Attention! Hunting a wild boar is a very dangerous pastime. A wounded animal may attack in response.

Habitats and food

For shelter, boars choose places that are impassable for other creatures. They are most often found in dense mixed forests or reed thickets. The herd has a nomadic lifestyle. In search of food, wild boars travel several kilometers a day. Although considered omnivores, the main diet consists of various parts of plants. The boar feeds:

• roots of reeds, reeds;
• nuts, acorns;
• apples falling to the ground.

The herd does not pass by the fields cultivated by man, which causes agriculture tangible damage. Pigs happily eat:

• corn;
• potatoes, beets;
• cereals.

In ponds, pigs look for mollusks, amphibians, and reptiles. Mice nests and insect larvae are torn out in the meadows.

Attention! When feeding, the boar moves against the wind. This allows you to smell danger and take action in time.

When summer comes and hot days set in, boars feed at night. During daylight hours they lie down in damp, shady places. In winter it's the other way around. The herd spends the night in secluded places, and goes out to feed during the warmest time during the day.

Lifestyle and reproduction

A family of wild boars lives according to the laws of a strict hierarchy, headed by an adult and experienced pig. At the beginning of winter, the rut begins and the cleaver takes control of the herd. Adults engage in fierce battles for the right to own females. If the age and strength of the opponents are equal, then the death of one of the participants is not uncommon. A strong boar simply drives younger and weaker males out of the herd. The animal reaches its peak of strength at the age of 6-7 years.

After the winner covers all the females, he leaves the herd and lives on his own the rest of the time. The expelled young boars return back to the family. Females bear offspring for 4 months. There are from 5 to 10 piglets in a litter. At birth, babies weigh on average 1 kg. Their body coloration differs from adults in alternating light and dark stripes. By winter, teenagers gain weight up to 10 kg.

The boar or cleaver is considered the personification of extraordinary strength and ferocity. In fact, the animal is not aggressive, it only attacks humans in response and is an indispensable link in the wild.

Wild boar: video

The wild boar is a representative of the artiodactyl order of the pig family. Forms a separate genus. It has another name - boar or wild pig.

Outwardly very different from its domestic counterpart. Boar is denser. Compared to the domestic pig, it has longer legs. The head is elongated. They have long erect ears. Males have large lower and upper canines. The fur on the body is long and hard, thicker in winter and less frequent in summer. It can be dark grey, brown or black. There is a mane on the head and back. The muzzle, legs and tail are usually black. In some areas of Central Asia you can find light-colored individuals.

Boar dimensions

The boar can have different sizes, it depends on the area where it lives. The northern inhabitants are larger than the southern ones. The smallest wild boars live in southeast Asia and southern India, weighing about 45 kg. Individuals living in the Carpathians can weigh up to 200 kg. The largest representatives of the genus live in the northeastern part of Europe, right up to the Urals. Their weight reaches 300 kg. The largest recorded weight of this animal was 320 kg. In Italy you can find a boar weighing 150 kg, and in France - 230 kg.

On average, the weight of an adult varies from 80 to 120 kg. Their body reaches 0.9-2 meters in length. At the withers they grow to 55-110 cm in height.

They have a tail, the length of which is 15-40 cm. Males have long fangs protruding outward. Females, unlike males, have small fangs that are not visible outwardly. The offspring of wild boars up to 6 months of age differ in color from adults; they have light, yellow and brown stripes along their body. This color perfectly camouflages from predators.

Wild boar habitat

Preferred habitat is wooded areas and marshy areas. The boar loves to lie in the swamp mud. Representatives of this genus live in Europe, central, southeastern and eastern Asia, the Middle East, India and northern Africa. This animal is not found in steppe areas, mountains and arid areas.

The wild boar lives in some areas of Siberia; it can be found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and in the southern part Irkutsk region. Today it lives in the forests of the Moscow region and in territories located to the north. In search of food, it can climb into high mountain meadows, but the altitude should not exceed 3300 meters. In Kazakhstan and Central Asia, he chose coniferous and deciduous forests for living, and fruit forests in the Caucasus.

In the 13th century, these animals disappeared from Great Britain, in the 19th century from Denmark, and at the beginning of the 20th century, wild boars disappeared from Austria, Germany, Italy and northern Africa. In 1930, the wild pig was almost completely exterminated in Russia. However, since 1950 the population began to revive. Today, the wild boar lives even in Foggy Albion.

They also live in wildlife parks in England. The largest population lives in Sweden. Its population is more than 100 thousand individuals. Representatives of the genus are also found in North America, more precisely, in the eastern part of the USA, where they were brought specifically for hunting. There is a population in Australia, but it is not wild boars that live there, but domestic ones that escaped from farms, went wild and have now adapted to life in the wild and continue to reproduce. In behavior and lifestyle, representatives of this population do not differ from wild boars, but still are not them.

Boar behavior and nutrition

Females live in groups, the number of which can reach up to 50 individuals. The mature female dominates there. Males prefer a solitary lifestyle and come into groups only during the mating season. They hunt and search for food in the morning and evening twilight. During the day and night hours, wild boars prefer to rest. These animals have excellent hearing and an excellent sense of smell, but their vision is weak.

Thanks to their tusks, wild boars can dig the ground and get out rhizomes, tubers, and plant bulbs. This is their main food. They also feed on berries, fruits, and nuts. In spring and summer, they eat young grass, leaves of trees and shrubs, and shoots. From animal food they eat bird eggs, worms, insects, fish, they love frogs and snakes. They also eat carrion, as well as young lambs and deer. Boars are excellent swimmers and can easily cross a lake or river. They run well, can reach fairly high speeds, and given their size and weight, they are very dangerous for enemies.

Reproduction and lifespan

In the wild, wild boars live 10-12 years; in captivity, animals live up to 20 years. Between November and December, wild boars go into rut. In males, a subcutaneous protective “shell” grows - muscles 2-3 cm thick. It is located on the sides and serves as protection from the fangs of an opponent, which he can injure in the fight for the female. Also during this period, animals accumulate fat.

During the mating season, males constantly participate in battles for females, and therefore they lose weight and become weaker. They have many wounds on their bodies. The winner can receive up to 8 females. The duration of pregnancy is approximately 115 days. Childbirth takes place in April. The first time a female usually gives birth to 2-3 piglets. Subsequently, she gives birth to 4-6 cubs. There are times when there may be 10-12 piglets in a litter. When there are 3 days left before giving birth, the female leaves the herd. She looks for a place for herself, digs a hole there, covers it with branches and gives birth there.

At birth, a piglet weighs from 750 grams to 1 kg. For the first 4-6 days they sit in the nest, and then the female and her offspring return to the herd. The offspring goes everywhere with their mother. The female feeds the cubs with milk for 3.5 months. Growth in these animals continues up to 5-6 years. Females become sexually mature at 1.5 years, and males at 5-6 years.

Boar's enemies

All predators are enemies of wild boars. But they usually attack young individuals, since adult boars are strong, large, and have strong legs, and males also have sharp fangs. Therefore, the boar is able to fight back, and even, in some cases, the attacker dies, but more often receives serious injuries.

The main enemy remains man. People hunted and continue to hunt. In most cases, the animal is killed in order to make a stuffed animal out of its head and thus demonstrate their skill as a hunter. People eat the meat of these animals; it is very tasty and nutritious. Boar bristles were used to make massage hair brushes, toothbrushes and brushes for applying shaving foam.

Nowadays, bristles are not used to make toothbrushes - it is unhygienic, but shaving brushes and hair brushes are still sometimes made from it. Painting brushes are also made from bristles. Boar skin can be eaten. Today, hunting this animal has acquired a sporting character; it is done for fun, not for food. They often hunt with dogs or hunt down prey on horseback.

If a hunter encounters a boar, especially a wounded one, the person is in mortal danger. The animal rushes at the enemy with lightning speed, and if you do not run to the side in time, you can die. The boar does not attack again. Under normal conditions, the wild boar is not aggressive. The exception is females with offspring; if the mother decides that the children are in danger, then she will protect them to the last.

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The wild boar is a fairly large animal that can reach up to one and a half meters in length. The weight of an adult varies from 150 to 300 kilograms. The boar's bristly fur resembles the coloration of a bear with a slight reddish tint. Their distinctive feature can be called large lower fangs, the size of which can be about 25 centimeters. This dexterous and agile animal is capable of accelerating up to 40 km per hour, which makes it elusive for both wild animals and hunters. On top of that, the wild boar swims well and jumps at a distance of 3.5 meters.

The role of fangs

The main function performed by the fangs of a wild boar is defense and attack. Most main threat for this animal a pack of wolves, hunters or a bear can act. When attacked, a boar is capable of inflicting lacerations thanks to its tusks. Everyone knows that the boar is an animal that people hunt with pleasure. You should know that this beast is not so stupid. There have been many cases when wild boars lured a person to the reeds using various tricks, after which they suddenly attacked. It is very difficult to escape from the fangs of an angry boar; they are deadly. When an animal is wounded, it becomes enraged and may attack in response. In such a wounded and enraged state, even the wolves do not touch him.

Wild boar habitats

The boar (wild boar) is a fairly common species that lives throughout Europe, Asia, America and other tropical places. This animal has taken root both in coniferous forests and deserts. The most favorite place for such wild boars is oak forests. Very often such a large wild boar is found in the Caucasus and Transbaikalia near mountain rivers. The boar is a herd animal. Females are smaller in size than males and have a smaller habitat with piglets than a male. Its territory depends on the saturation of food in a particular place. These stray animals are capable of traveling several kilometers in one day in search of food.

Animal nutrition

The boar is an animal that eats quite varied. The boar's most favorite delicacies are:

• Bulbous plants.
• Various roots.
• Nuts, acorns, berries.
• Herbaceous plants.
• Frogs, lizards, snakes.
• Various insects.
• Bird eggs.

Wild boar offspring

An animal such as a boar (boar) is divided into 25 subspecies, for which characteristic features are a stocky body with a large head, wide ears and small eyes. All adults protect their herds. Each female is capable of producing approximately five piglets annually, each of which can weigh about half a kilogram after birth. Nature itself took care of the safety of the babies and painted them with stripes, which makes small wild boars less noticeable, unlike adult boars with a dark color. Since wild pigs most often unite in huge herds in the fall to protect their young, even wolves do not always decide to attack pig offspring.

Boar character

Most boars prefer to spend their day in gray, marshy areas, wallowing in holes. In case of danger, this huge boar is able to escape through thickets impenetrable to other animals, swim across a water obstacle, and, if necessary, attack. After all, everyone knows that the best defense is an attack. The big boar tries to avoid meeting people, but there are often cases when hunters and dogs run into trouble themselves and they can find it. A pig's hearing is quite well developed, so for everyone's safety, feeding is done at night. The behavior of females should also be noted, because for the sake of their offspring they are ready to go into fire, into water, and even into an armed man, whom they will pursue to the last.

Precautionary measures

In order not to run into such a deadly animal as a boar once again, it is recommended to act as follows:

1. Be as careful as possible and do not come close to a flock of wild boars. It's best to leave before the person is spotted.
2. If you happen to stumble upon a piglet, you should keep in mind that the mother is definitely somewhere nearby.
3. If tracks of a boar are found, it is better to go in the other direction, away from this pig trail.
4. When a boar takes a person by surprise, there is no need to attack him. The best way out from the current situation - climb a tall tree and hide for a while.

Hatching of offspring

Pregnancy of females can last about 120 days, after which they are temporarily separated from their herd to build a nest in some quiet place. The new “home” for the brood looks more like a hut made of branches. During this crucial period, the mother becomes as aggressive as possible, which allows her to reliably protect and protect her cubs. Unlike males, the female does not have huge, terrifying fangs, but this does not mean at all that she is harmless. When defending or attacking, she is capable of overpowering and trampling her victim to death. After the offspring grow up, all family members return to the herd.

Life in the wild

Nature provides for everything, but this does not mean at all that life in this world will be without difficulties and obstacles, even for wild boars. Without a doubt, the boar's tusks are a powerful weapon and assistant throughout the entire period of their existence. But it is impossible to predict weather conditions that significantly complicate their lives. Snow makes it difficult for them to move, as a result of which the animals are able to overcome only one and a half kilometers, which threatens them with hunger and no fangs or speed of the animal will help with this.

The skin of a boar is quite thick, especially in the thigh area. Many hunters know this firsthand. An animal wounded in the thigh is worse than a healthy one, since such an angry animal is capable of fighting the offender to the last.

Everyone knows that the boar is an animal that emits a terrible roar that can put anyone into a stupor. When meeting an animal, you need to remember that it has an excellent sense of smell and hearing, but its vision is slightly impaired - this can be used in certain situations to save itself. In the wild, when this huge boar comes face to face with an opponent, he will never back down, no matter how many enemies surround him.

wild boar

The boar is an animal with a rather unusual appearance. Its body can be divided into two parts: back and front. From the front, the boar is huge and massive, with a smooth flowing body that tapers strongly at the back. That's why he looks slightly hunched over. The comb, which stretches along the entire back, gives aggressiveness. Upon reaching three years of age, the boar develops two pairs of powerful tusks. Females are very different in this matter from their partners. These weapons can become sharper and more dangerous over the years, since wild boars constantly sharpen them on stones and frozen ground. The wild boar is an animal that resembles a kind of tank, capable of making its way through even the most impenetrable thickets with lightning speed. This allows you to save your life if necessary. And the animal’s favorite pastime is mud baths.

The body of a boar is so dense and knitted that it more closely resembles a bristly shell, which not every hunter can pierce, but can easily irritate the beast. This animal is unusually strong and is capable of turning over huge stones and picking out ground frozen to 10 centimeters. Of course, meeting one-on-one with such a powerful killer as a boar is a sad story, but one should not give in to panic, even if the beast squeals and tries to intimidate a person. You must always soberly assess the situation. If you don’t get close to the animal and its cubs, don’t provoke it, and don’t get noticed, then problems can be avoided. As a last resort, it is recommended to climb the nearest tree - this is the only correct option.