Warthog

{{Short description|Genus of wild pigs}} {{About|the animal|other uses|Warthog (disambiguation)}} {{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) male.jpg | image_caption = Male common warthog ''Phacochoerus africanus'' Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa | taxon = Phacochoerus | authority = F. Cuvier, 1826 | type_species = ''Aper aethiopicus''<ref>{{MSW3|id=14200018 |heading=''Phacochoerus''}}</ref> | type_species_authority = Pallas, 1766 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = ''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'' ''Phacochoerus africanus'' |synonyms= * ''Aper'' Pallas, 1766 * ''Dinochoerus'' Gloger, 1841 * ''Eureodon'' G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 * ''Macrocephalus'' Frisch, 1775 * ''Macrocephalus'' Palmer, 1904 * ''Phacellochaerus'' Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1832 * ''Phacellochoerus'' Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1832 * ''Phacochaeres'' Gray, 1821 * ''Phacocherus'' Fleming, 1822 * ''Phacochoerus'' G. Cuvier, 1816 * ''Phascochaeres'' Cretzschmar, 1828 * ''Phascochaerus'' Desmarest, 1822 * ''Phascochoeres'' Ranzani, 1821 * ''Phascochoerus'' Ranzani, 1821 }}

'''''Phacochoerus''''' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as '''warthogs''' (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly considered conspecific under the scientific name ''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'', but today this is limited to the desert warthog, while the best-known and most widespread species, the common warthog (or simply warthog), is ''Phacochoerus africanus''.

==Description== thumb|left|Skull Although covered in bristly hairs, a warthog's body and head appear largely bare, from a distance, with only a crest of hair along the back and the tufts on the face and tail being obvious. The English name "wart"-hog refers to their facial wattles, which are particularly distinct in males. The males also have very prominent tusks, which reach a length of {{convert|10|to|25|in|cm|abbr=off}}; females' tusks are always smaller.<ref name=Walker>Novak, R. M. (editor) (1999). ''Walker's Mammals of the World.'' Vol. 2. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. {{ISBN|0-8018-5789-9}}.</ref> They are largely herbivorous, but, like most suids, opportunistically eat invertebrates or small animals, even scavenging on carrion.<ref name=Kingdon>Kingdon, J. (1997). ''The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals.'' Academic Press Limited, London. {{ISBN|0-12-408355-2}}.</ref> While both species remain fairly common and widespread, and considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN, the nominate subspecies of desert warthog, commonly known as the Cape warthog (''P. a. aethiopicus'') was extinct by around 1865.<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author-last1=d'Huart|author-first1= J.P. |author-last2=Butynski|author-first2= T.M. |author-last3=De Jong|author-first3= Y. |year=2008 |title=''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'' |volume=2008 |article-number=e.T41767A10534407 |doi= |access-date=20 April 2010}}</ref>

==Species in taxonomic order==

The genus ''Phacochoerus'' contains two species. The two species emerged from ecological barriers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=d'Huart|first1=JP|last2=Grubb|first2=P|date=2001|title=Distribution of the common warthog (''Phacochoerus africanus'') and the desert warthog (''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'') in the Horn of Africa|journal=African Journal of Ecology|volume=39|issue=2|pages=156–169|doi=10.1046/j.0141-6707.2000.00298.x|via=Web of Science}}</ref> ''P. africanus'' were found with a lack of upper incisors, while ''P. aethiopicus'' were found with a full set.<ref name=":0" /> {{Species table |genus=Phacochoerus |authority-name=F. Cuvier|authority-year= 1826 |species-count=two|no-note=y|narrow-percent=75}}

{{Species table/row |name=Common warthog |binomial=Phacochoerus africanus |image=File:Nolan warthog (Phacochoerus africanus africanus).jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt= |authority-name=Gmelin |authority-year=1788 |authority-not-original=yes |range= Widespread in the savannah of Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia down to South Africa, absent from heavily forested or desert areas. |range-image=File:Distribution P. africanus.svg |range-image-size=180px |size=A head-and-body length ranging from {{cvt|0.9|to|1.5|m}}, and shoulder height from {{cvt|63.5|to|85|cm}}. Females, at {{cvt|45|to|75|kg}}, are smaller and lighter than males, at {{cvt|60|to|150|kg}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.denverzoo.org/downloads/dzoo_warthog.pdf |title=Common Warthog ''Phacochoerus africanus''|access-date=2013-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515051829/http://www.denverzoo.org/downloads/dzoo_warthog.pdf |archive-date=15 May 2013 }}</ref> |habitat= |hunting= |iucn-status= LC |population= |direction= |subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Four subspecies<ref>{{cite iucn |author-last1=de Jong|author-first1= Y.A. |author-last2=Cumming|author-first2= D. |author-last3=d'Huart|author-first3= J. |author-last4=Butynski|author-first4= T. |year=2016 |errata=2017 |title=''Phacochoerus africanus'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T41768A109669842 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T41768A44140445.en |access-date=15 December 2025}}</ref> |bullets=on |Nolan (northern) warthog (''P. a. africanus'') Gmelin, 1788 |Eritrean warthog (''P. a. aeliani'') Cretzschmar, 1828 |Central African warthog (''P. a. massaicus'') Lönnberg, 1908 |Southern warthog (''P. a. sundevallii'') Lönnberg, 1908 }} }}

{{Species table/row |name=Desert warthog |binomial=Phacochoerus aethiopicus |image=File:African Warthog - Phacochoerus aethiopicus.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt= |authority-name=Pallas |authority-year=1766 |authority-not-original=yes |range= Northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. |range-image=File:Phacochoerus aethiopicus map.svg |range-image-size=180px |size=Average length of {{convert|125|cm}} and weight of {{convert|75|kg}} with males being larger than females.<ref name=ADW>{{cite web |url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Phacochoerus_aethiopicus/ |title=''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'' |author-last1=Winkelstern|author-first1= Ian |year=2009 |work=Animal Diversity Web |publisher=University of Michigan |access-date=2013-09-04}}</ref> |habitat= |hunting= |iucn-status= LC |population= |direction= |subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Two subspecies<ref name=iucn2>{{cite iucn |author-last1=de Jong|author-first1= Y.A. |author-last2=Butynski|author-first2= T.M. |author-last3=d'Huart|author-first3= J.-P. |year=2016 |errata=2016 |title=''Phacochoerus aethiopicus'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T41767A99376685 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41767A44140316.en |access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref> |bullets=on |†''P. a. aethiopicus'' (Pallas, 1766) |''P. a. delamerei'' Lönnberg, 1909 }} }} {{Species table/end}}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Phacochoerus}} *{{Wikispecies-inline|Phacochoerus}} *{{cite journal|author-last1=d'Huart|author-first1= J.P. |name-list-style=& |author2=Grubb, P. |year=2005 |issn=1446-991X |title=A photographic guide to the differences between the Common Warthog (''Phacochoerus africanus'') and the Desert Warthog (''Ph. aethiopicus'')|journal= Suiform Soundings |volume=5|issue=2 |pages=4–8}}

Category:Phacochoerus Category:Fauna of Sub-Saharan Africa Category:Suids of Africa Category:Taxa named by Frédéric Cuvier Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot