| Java Warty Pig | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Genus: | Sus |
| Species: | S. verrucosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Sus verrucosus Müller, 1840 |
|
The Java Warty Pig or Javan Pig (Sus verrucosus) is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Suidae family. It was originally endemic to the Indonesian islands Java, Bawean, and Madura, but has recently been found extinct in Madura. Sus verrucosus lives in fragmented teak forest regoins ranging in altitudes from 0–800 meters above sea level.
Contents |
The Javan Warty Pig ranges from 44 kilograms to 108 kilograms in weight and from 90 centimeters to 190 centimeters long.[2] Their fur is red near the tip and a yellow or white color at the base of the hair. All members of this species have a long mane on top of their head that follows their spine down their back to their rump. The tail of the Javan Pig has a tuft of long red hairs at the end of it. The stature of this animal is skinny legs and a large oblong body. The most distinguishing feature of the males of Sus verrucosus is the 3 pairs of facial warts, the preorbital, infraorbital, and the mandibular which is the largest. As the pigs age the warts grow in size, so the eldest Javan Pig has the largest warts.[3]
The Java Warty Pig is mainly a solitary creature, but there have been sightings of groups of 3-4 individuals. They are nocturnal which means they are most active at night and they are crepuscual meaning they are also active during dusk and dawn. When the Warty Pig is startled its mane stands erect. If the animal is fleeing from a predator its tail is erect and curved towards its body. When there is a group of individuals is frightened there has been a recorded alarm call of the pig sounding like a shrill whistle [4] . The Javan Pig has an omnivorous diet that includes crops, vegetables, and small mammals. On average the Java Warty Pig lives to be 8 years of age with a few members of the species living to 14 years of age.
Sus verrucosus is an omnivore. It feeds on vegetables, crops, and small mammals. Some vegetation they consume includes roots, tubers, bark, seeds and grains. They also raid farmers fields and are considered an agricultural pest.
The Javan Pig on average lives to be 8 years of age.[5] The specific mating structure of this species hasn't been observed but it is believed to be polygynous like other members in the genus Sus. Polygynous describes that males compete and mate with multiple females within a breeding season. It is also a trend in the genus Sus that they become reproductively mature around 9 months old but females normally begin mating at 1.5 years old while males wait to reach full size at age 5 to be able to compete for a mate.[6] The mating season of this species is from September through December. The gestation period for the Javan Pig is 4 months. During the months of January through April, also known as the rainy season in Indonesia, the sows give birth to liters ranging from 3-9 piglets.[7] The piglets are born into a nest and nursed for the following 3–4 months.
The Javan Pig (‘’Sus verrucosus’’) is listed as an Endangered species according to the IUCN Red List. ‘’S. verrucosus’’ was first declared Vulnerable in 1988 and listed as Endangered in 1996. There was a drastic 53% drop in the population from 1982 through 2006. No known records of population numbers have been recorded but it is believed that the species is still declining.[8] The main threat to this species is habitat encroachment by humans. Agriculture is a large influence in the decline ofthe Javan Pig. These pigs are also killed by farmers who spot the pigs raiding their crops at night. Since this is a large animal sports hunters also consider killing the animal a challenge and see the Javan Pig as a trophy. An interesting threat to this speciea is actually occurring naturally. The closest relative to Sus verrucosus is the banded pig (Sus scrofa). This species share similar habitat ranges as the Javan Pig. This species threatens the Javan Pig not only through resource comptetion, but by cross-mating and creating hybrids of S. verrucosus and S. scrofa.[9]
The most recent conservation project has been through the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The goal of this conservation effort is to capture healthy Javan Pigs and breed them in captivity. The offspring of this program are then supposed to be released into protected habitats.[10] This method of reintroduction of the offspring will ensure the long term survival of the species.[11] One of the problems with this project is finding true ‘’Sus verrucosus’’ and not hybrids, which brings up another goal of the program, molecular mapping. Scientists will extract DNA from the wild pigs and record their genetic code to separate hybrids with true ‘’S. verrucosus’’. Along with this project are plans to educate the locals of the importance and endangerment of this species. The locals sometimes comment that they can’t distinguish the banded pig from the Javan Pig, and with education this confusion can be reduced.