FERAL FACTS
SCIENTIFIC NAME: SUS SCROFA LINNAEUS
CLASSIFICATION: OMNIVORE
AVERAGE WEIGHT: FEMALE-110LB MALE-130LB
SPECIES: NON-NATIVE TO N. AMERICA
HISTORY: INTRODUCED TO N. AMERICA IN 1500s
EST. POPULATION (IN TEXAS): 2,000,000+ (THIS NUMBER IS OPEN TO DEBATE)
AVERAGE LIFESPAN: 4-8 YEARS
THE FERAL HOG: FERAL HOGS HAVE MUCH LONGER SNOUTS THAN THEIR DOMESTIC COUNTERPARTS. UNLIKE THEIR TAME BROTHERS, THEIR BODIES ARE COVERED IN LONG, STIFF GRIZZLED HAIRS THAT RANGE IN COLOR. THEY ALSO TEND TO HAVE LESS FAT AND MORE MUSCLE THAN DOMESTIC HOGS. FERAL HOGS ARE FAST RUNNERS AND GOOD SWIMMERS. THEY CAN REACH A HEIGHT OF AS MUCH AS 36" AT THE SHOUDLERS. MALES HAVE FOUR CONTINUOUSLY GROWING TEETH (SOMETIMES CALLED TUSKS). THEY HAVE TWO ON TOP, AND TWO ON BOTTOM. THEY KEEP THESE TEETH HONED TO SHARP POINTS BY RUBBING THEM AGAINST EACH OTHER. THESE ARE A MALE HOGS' PRIMARY WEAPONS, AND CAN BE USED WITH DEADLY EFFECTIVENESS. FERAL BOARS WILL ALSO RUB THEIR SHOULDERS AGAINST THINGS TO BUILD A CALLOUS HIDE FOR PROTECTION AND FIGHTING. ALTHOUGH HOGS ARE NOT KNOWN TO HAVE VERY KEEN EYESIGHT, THEY HAVE A VERY GOOD SENSE OF SMELL. AND NEVER DOUBT THAT THEY ARE VERY, VERY SMART FOR AN ANIMAL.
A FERAL HOG CAN MATURE TO BREEDING AGE IN AS LITTLE AS SIX MONTHS. THEY CAN REPRODUCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. A TYPICAL LITTER OF HOGS IS ABOUT FOUR TO SIX, BUT CAN BE AS MUCH AS TEN TO TWELVE. A FERAL HOG IS FULLY MATURE BY ONE YEAR. A FERAL SOW CAN BE FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF HER YOUNG, AND WILL EVEN TAKE IN PIGLETS FROM OTHER SOWS. A SOW WILL USUALLY HAVE NO MORE THAN TWO LITTERS PER YEAR. GESTATION IS AROUND 115 DAYS. MATURE MALES TEND TO BE MORE SOLITARY, ONLY JOINING A HERD TO BREED. FERAL HOGS PRODUCE MORE OFFSPRING PER YEAR THAN ANY OTHER LARGE MAMMEL IN NORTH AMERICA. THEIR AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS FOUR TO EIGHT YEARS.
EATING HABITS: FERAL HOGS ARE OMNIVORES, MEANING THEY CAN CONSUME BOTH MEAT AND VEGETABLES. THEIR DIET IS NOT LIMITED BY MUCH. IT IS USUALLY LIMITED MORE BY THEIR
HABITAT (IN TEXAS): IN TEXAS, THE LARGEST POPULATIONS OF HOGS ARE IN EAST, SOUTH, AND CENTRAL TEXAS. STUDIES SHOW THAT POPULATIONS ARE INCREASING ALL ACROSS AMERICA THOUGH. HOGS TEND TO PREFER BOTTOMLAND SUCH AS RIVERS, CREEKS AND DRAINAGES WHEN AVAILABLE. ALTHOUGH THEY PREFER DENSE VEGETATION COVER ASSOCIATED WITH WATER, THEY CAN LIVE IN DROUGHT PRONE ENVIROMENTS AS WELL. DURING HOTTER MONTHS FERAL HOGS MUST STAY CLOSE TO A WATER SOURCE. HOGS HAVE NO SWEAT GLANDS, AND MUST COOL OFF BY WALLOWING IN MUD AND WATER. A HOGS HOME RANGE IS BASED MAINLY ON FOOD AVAILABILITY AND COVER. IT IS USUALLY LESS THAN 5000 ACRES, BUT CAN RANGE OUT TO AS MUCH AS 70,000 ACRES IF NECESSARY. ONE STUDY ESTIMATES
IMPACT: FERAL HOGS ARE IN DIRECT COMPETITION FOR FOOD WITH LIVESTOCK, GAME AND NON-GAME ANIMALS. ROOTING AND TRAMPLING BY GROUPS OF HOGS CAUSES DAMAGE TO CROPS, FIELDS, AND LIVESTOCK FEEDING AND WATERING FACILITIES. IN AMERICA EACH YEAR HOGS CAUSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN AGRICULTURAL CROP DAMAGE. EXCESSIVE WALLOWING BY HOGS NEAR WATER SOURCES CAN CAUSE LAND EROSION. THIS CAN ALSO DAMAGE NEARBY PLANTLIFE. THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN TO KILL AND EAT MANY SMALL NATIVE ANIMALS, INCLUDING SOME ENDANGERED SPECIES LIKE BABY SEA TURTLES. HOGS CAN ALSO CARRY SOME DISEASES WHICH CAN BE SPREAD TO LIVESTOCK. THEY ARE CLASSIFIED BY MOST STATES AS PEST OR NUISANCE ANIMALS.
HISTORY: FERAL HOGS WERE INTRODUCED IN AMERICA IN THE 1500s BY SPANISH EXPLORERS AND THE FIRST SETTLERS MAINLY FOR FOOD. THEY WERE THEN BROUGHT IN AGAIN IN THE 1900s FOR SPORT HUNTING. DOMESTIC PIGS HAVE ALSO BEEN RELEASED CAUSING DIFFERENT STRAINS OF FERAL HOGS. WILD HOG HUNTING IS NOT NEW, EVEN AS A SPORT RATHER THAN FOR MEAT TO LIVE ON. IT HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS RANGING FROM SPEAR TO BOW TO GUNS TO DOGS AND KNIVES TO NAME A FEW. FERAL HOGS, LARGE BOARS IN PARTICULAR CAN BE VERY FEROCIOUS PREY. IN MEDIEVIL TIMES THE RICH AND NOBLES USED TO USE BOAR HUNTING AS A WAY TO IMPRESS AND ENTERTAIN THEIR GUESTS. IT IS PROBABLY THE BOAR'S UNPREDICTABLE NATURE THAT HAS MADE IT A FAVORITE GAME ANIMAL THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF HUNTING.