Pigs

   The pigs are a family of artiodactyls found throughout the Old World, while the peccaries, close relatives, are native to the Americas. Pigs first evolved during the Oligocene and are believed to be most similar to the earliest even-toed ungulates compared to other living families. Pigs have four toes on each foot with the weight bared by the middle toe. They have a simple stomach, unlike ruminants, and are not adapted to eating tough vegetation. Instead pigs feed on a wide variety of foods, from grasses, leaves and fruits to fungi, worms and insects to eggs, carrion and live animals. Their teeth reflect their diet, and pigs are the few artiodactyls who still have upper front teeth. The canines have grown into prominent tusks used for digging, defense and fighting. Most pig's snouts are long and narrow for rooting for food and end in a fleshy, disk-shaped nose. Their senses of smell as well as hearing are very acute. Pigs communicate with a variety of sounds including snorts, grunts and squeals. The smallest pig species is the pygmy hog weighing 15-20 pounds while the giant forest hog and some wild boar reach over 600 pounds. Most species live in small herds except for males which are solitary. A boar is usually much bigger than a sow and grows larger tusks. many wild pigs also grow bumps or warts on their faces for protection. Peccaries are similar to pigs but have differences in their teeth. Throughout their range wild pigs are hunted by predators such as big cats, bears, dogs and crocodilians, and human hunters consider them favorable game. The Eurasian wild boar has also been domesticated in the Middle East as early as 12,000 years ago and today is a favorite source of meat and other products, and is sometimes even kept as a pet due to its intelligence, curiosity and flexible-diet. The domestic pigs ancestor the wild boar still covers much of Eurasia and has been introduced by humans to many parts of the world for sport. The wild boar and its domestic descendant are considered destructive invasive species. Other wild pigs are more rare due to habitat loss and overhunting.