Wild boars, known taxonomically as Sus scrofa, are a group of suid animals native to Earth. As of 1990, up to 16 subspecies are recognized, which are divided into four regional groupings. Human intervention has spread its distribution further, making the species one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world.
Overview[]
Physiology[]
The wild boar is a bulky, massively built suid with short and relatively thin legs. The trunk is short and massive, while the hindquarters are comparatively underdeveloped. The region behind the shoulder blades rises into a hump and the neck is short and thick to the point of being nearly immobile. The animal's head is very large, taking up to one-third of the body's entire length. The structure of the head is well suited for digging. The head acts as a plough, while the powerful neck muscles allow the animal to upturn considerable amounts of soil: it is capable of digging 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) into frozen ground and can upturn rocks weighing 40–50 kg (88–110 lb). The eyes are small and deep-set and the ears long and broad. The species has well developed canine teeth, which protrude from the mouths of adult males. The middle hooves are larger and more elongated than the lateral ones and are capable of quick movements. The animal can run at a maximum speed of 40 km/h and jump at a height of 140–150 cm (55–59 in).
Behavior[]
Boars are typically social animals, living in female-dominated sounders consisting of barren sows and mothers with young led by an old matriarch. Male boars leave their sounder at the age of 8–15 months, while females either remain with their mothers or establish new territories nearby. Subadult males may live in loosely knit groups, while adult and elderly males tend to be solitary outside the breeding season.
Relationships with Humans[]
The wild boar features prominently in the cultures of people, many of which saw the animal as embodying warrior virtues. Cultures throughout Europe and Asia Minor saw the killing of a boar as proof of one's valor and strength.
In Guatemala, Dutch and his team set up a trap intending to catch the Jungle Hunter, but instead a wild boar stumbled into the team's heavily defended laying up position in the middle of the night. Mac mistook the animal for the Predator and savagely killed it with his knife in a blind rage.
Trivia[]
- One of the animal-based Xenomorphs of the Kenner Products Aliens toyline was based on a Wild Boar.
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
