Suina, also known as Suiformes, is a suborder of omnivorous, non-ruminant hoofed mammals in the order Artiodactyla. A member of this clade is called a suine. It includes the family Suidae, termed suids or colloquially pigs or swine, as well as the family Tayassuidae, termed tayassuids or peccaries. Suines are largely native to Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, with the exception of the wild boar, which is additionally native to Europe and Asia and introduced to North America and Australasia, including widespread use in farming of the domestic pig subspecies. Suines range in size from the 55 cm (22 in) long pygmy hog to the 210 cm (83 in) long giant forest hog, and are primarily found in forest, shrubland, and grassland biomes, though some can be found in deserts, wetlands, or coastal regions. Most species do not have population estimates, though approximately two billion domestic pigs are used in farming, while several species are considered endangered or critically endangered with populations as low as 100.
The 20 extant species of Suina are split between the Suidae family, containing 17 extant species belonging to six genera, and the Tayassuidae family, containing three species in three genera. All extant suids are members of the Suinae subfamily; extinct species have also been placed into Suinae as well as other subfamilies. Dozens of extinct Suina species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed. [1] [2]
Conservation status | |
---|---|
EX | Extinct (0 species) |
EW | Extinct in the wild (0 species) |
CR | Critically Endangered (1 species) |
EN | Endangered (4 species) |
VU | Vulnerable (6 species) |
NT | Near threatened (2 species) |
LC | Least concern (7 species) |
Other categories | |
DD | Data deficient (0 species) |
NE | Not evaluated (0 species) |
Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the species's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†".
The suborder Suina consists of 20 extant species in nine genera, divided into dozens of extant subspecies. These are split between the Suidae family, containing 17 species belonging to 6 genera, and the Tayassuidae family, containing 3 species in 3 genera. This does not include hybrid species such as boar–pig hybrids or extinct prehistoric species.
The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis. There are several additional proposals which are disputed, such as the creation of a fourth species of peccary, the giant peccary (Pecari maximus), which are not included here. [3]
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Buru babirusa | B. babyrussa (Linnaeus, 1758) | Buru, Mangole, and Taliabu islands in Indonesia | Size: 85–110 cm (33–43 in) long, plus 20–32 cm (8–13 in) tail [4] Habitat: Forest and inland wetlands [5] Diet: Fruit and browse [5] | VU
|
North Sulawesi babirusa | B. celebensis (Deninger, 1909) | Sulawesi and nearby Indonesian islands | Size: 85–110 cm (33–43 in) long, plus 20–32 cm (8–13 in) tail [6] Habitat: Forest and inland wetlands [7] Diet: Fruit and browse [7] | VU
|
Togian babirusa | B. togeanensis (Sody, 1949) | Togian Islands of Indonesia | Size: Unknown, but likely the largest babirusa species [8] [9] Habitat: Forest, inland wetlands, and intertidal marine [10] Diet: Fruit, rhizomes, tamarinds, cacao, herbs, and vegetables [8] | EN
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Giant forest hog | H. meinertzhageni Thomas, 1904 Three subspecies
| Scattered central Africa | Size: 130–210 cm (51–83 in) long, plus 25–45 cm (10–18 in) tail [11] Habitat: Forest [12] Diet: Large variety of plants, particularly herbaceous plants [12] | LC
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Common warthog | P. africanus (Gmelin, 1788) Four subspecies
| Sub-saharan Africa | Size: 90–150 cm (35–59 in) long [13] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland [14] Diet: Grass, as well as roots, berries, bark, and carrion [13] [14] | LC |
Desert warthog | P. aethiopicus (Pallas, 1766) Two subspecies
| Eastern Africa | Size: 100–145 cm (39–57 in) long [16] Habitat: Savanna and shrubland [17] Diet: A variety of grass, shrubs, and tubers, as well as fruit and insects [16] [17] | LC
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Pygmy hog | P. salvania (Hodgson, 1847) | Southern Bhutan and northwest India | Size: 55–71 cm (22–28 in) long, plus tail [18] Habitat: Grassland [19] Diet: Roots, grass, tubers, and invertebrates [20] [19] | EN
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bushpig | P. larvatus (F. Cuvier, 1822) Six subspecies
| Southeastern Africa | Size: 100–150 cm (39–59 in) long [21] Habitat: Forest and shrubland [22] Diet: Roots, tubers, fruit, invertebrates, small vertebrates, and carrion [21] [22] | LC
|
Red river hog | P. porcus (Linnaeus, 1758) | Western Africa | Size: 100–150 cm (39–59 in) long, plus 30–40 cm (12–16 in) tail [23] Habitat: Forest [24] Diet: Fruit and seeds, as well as carrion [24] | LC
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bornean bearded pig | S. barbatus Müller, 1838 Two subspecies
| Southeast Asia | Size: 100–170 cm (39–67 in) long, plus 20–50 cm (8–20 in) tail [25] Habitat: Forest, inland wetlands, neritic marine, and intertidal marine [26] Diet: Roots, fungi, invertebrates, small vertebrates, turtle eggs, carrion, and a variety of plants [26] | VU
|
Celebes warty pig | S. celebensis Müller, Schlegel, 1843 Three subspecies
| Indonesian island of Sulawesi | Size: 80–130 cm (31–51 in) long [27] Habitat: Forest, grassland, and inland wetlands [28] Diet: Roots, fallen fruit, leaves, and young shoots, as well as invertebrates, small vertebrates, and carrion [28] | NT
|
Javan warty pig | S. verrucosus F. Boie, 1832 Two subspecies
| Indonesian islands of Java and Bawean | Size: 90–190 cm (35–75 in) long [29] Habitat: Forest and grassland [30] Diet: Omnivorous; wide variety of plants and small vertebrates [29] [30] | EN
|
Oliver's warty pig | S. oliveri Groves, 1997 | Philippines island of Mindoro | Size: Specific measurements not available, but likely similar to the Philippine warty pig [31] [32] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland [33] Diet: Believed to eat a wide variety of plant and animal matter [33] | VU
|
Palawan bearded pig | S. ahoenobarbus Huet, 1888 | Philippines | Size: 100–160 cm (39–63 in) long [34] Habitat: Forest [35] Diet: Omnivorous; wide variety of plants, invertebrates, small vertebrates, and carrion [34] [35] | NT
|
Philippine warty pig | S. philippensis Nehring, 1886 Two subspecies
| Western Philippines | Size: Specific measurements not available [31] [36] Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland [37] Diet: Tubers, fruit, and invertebrates [36] [37] | VU
|
Visayan warty pig | S. cebifrons Heude, 1888 Two subspecies
| Visayan Islands in the Philippines | Size: 90–125 cm (35–49 in) long, plus 23 cm (9 in) tail [38] Habitat: Forest and grassland [39] Diet: Omnivorous; wide variety of plants and small vertebrates [38] [39] | CR
|
Wild boar | S. scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 Seventeen subspecies
| Eurasia and North Africa; introduced to parts of United States, South America, and Oceania | Size: 90–200 cm (35–79 in) long, plus 15–40 cm (6–16 in) tail [40] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, inland wetlands, and desert [41] Diet: Omnivorous; variety of plants, small vertebrates, invertebrates, and carrion [40] [41] | LC
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chacoan peccary | C. wagneri Rusconi, 1930 | Gran Chaco region of central South America | Size: 96–118 cm (38–46 in) long [43] Habitat: Savanna and shrubland [44] Diet: Cacti, as well as roots, fruit, and forbs [44] | EN
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Collared peccary | D. tajacu (Linnaeus, 1758) Fourteen subspecies
| South America, Central America, and southern North America | Size: 80–100 cm (31–39 in) long [45] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert [46] Diet: Roots, tubers, fruits, seeds, as well as green plants, insects, and small animals [46] | LC
|
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
White-lipped peccary | T. pecari (Link, 1795) Five subspecies
| South America and Central America | Size: 75–100 cm (30–39 in) long, plus 1–6 cm (0–2 in) tail [47] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland [48] Diet: Fruit, as well as a variety of plants, invertebrates, fungi and fish [48] | VU
|
A peccary is a pig-like ungulate of the family Tayassuidae. They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North America. They usually measure between 90 and 130 cm in length, and a full-grown adult usually weighs about 20 to 40 kg. They represent the closest relatives of the family Suidae, which contains pigs and relatives. Together Tayassuidae and Suidae are grouped in the suborder Suina within the order Artiodactyla.
The North Sulawesi babirusa is a pig-like animal native to Sulawesi and some nearby islands in Indonesia. It has two pairs of large tusks composed of enlarged canine teeth. The upper canines penetrate the top of the snout, curving back toward the forehead. The North Sulawesi babirusa is threatened from hunting and deforestation.
Suina is a suborder of omnivorous, non-ruminant artiodactyl mammals that includes the domestic pig and peccaries. A member of this clade is known as a suine. Suina includes the family Suidae, termed suids, known in English as pigs or swine, as well as the family Tayassuidae, termed tayassuids or peccaries. Suines are largely native to Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, with the exception of the wild boar, which is additionally native to Europe and Asia and introduced to North America and Australasia, including widespread use in farming of the domestic pig subspecies. Suines range in size from the 55 cm (22 in) long pygmy hog to the 210 cm (83 in) long giant forest hog, and are primarily found in forest, shrubland, and grassland biomes, though some can be found in deserts, wetlands, or coastal regions. Most species do not have population estimates, though approximately two billion domestic pigs are used in farming, while several species are considered endangered or critically endangered with populations as low as 100. One species, Heude's pig, is considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to have gone extinct in the 20th century.
The babirusas, also called deer-pigs, are a genus, Babyrousa, in the swine family found in the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. All members of this genus were considered part of a single species until 2002, the babirusa, B. babyrussa, but following that was split into several species. This scientific name is restricted to the Buru babirusa from Buru and Sula, whereas the best-known species, the north Sulawesi babirusa, is named B. celebensis. The remarkable "prehistoric" appearance of these mammals is largely due to the prominent upwards incurving canine tusks of the males, which pierce the flesh in the snout.
The red river hog or bushpig, is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests. It is rarely seen away from rainforests, and generally prefers areas near rivers or swamps.
The collared peccary is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus Dicotyles. They are commonly referred to as javelina, saíno, or báquiro, although these terms are also used to describe other species in the family. The species is also known as the musk hog. In Trinidad, it is colloquially known as quenk.
The white-lipped peccary is a species of peccary found in Central and South America and the only member of the genus Tayassu. Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar in appearance to pigs, but covered in dark hair. The range of T. pecari, which extends from Mexico to Argentina, has become fragmented, and the species's population is declining overall. They can be found in a variety of habitats. Social animals, white-lipped peccaries typically forage in large groups, which can have as many as 300 peccaries.
The Bornean bearded pig, also known as the Sunda bearded pig or simply bearded pig, is a species in the pig genus, Sus.
The Philippine warty pig is one of four known species in the pig genus (Sus) endemic to the Philippines. The other three endemic species are the Visayan warty pig, Mindoro warty pig and the Palawan bearded pig, also being rare members of the family Suidae. Philippine warty pigs have two pairs of warts, with a tuft of hair extending outwards from the warts closest to the jaw. It has multiple native common names, but it is most widely known as baboy damo in Tagalog.
The desert warthog is a species of even-toed ungulate in the pig family (Suidae), found in northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. This is the range of the extant subspecies, commonly known as the Somali warthog. Another subspecies, commonly known as the Cape warthog, became extinct around 1865, but formerly occurred in South Africa.
The Javan warty pig, also called Javan wild pig, is an even-toed ungulate in the family Suidae. It is endemic to the Indonesian islands Java and Bawean, and is considered extinct on Madura. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1996.
Suinae is a subfamily of artiodactyl mammals that includes several of the extant members of Suidae and their closest relatives – the domestic pig and related species, such as babirusas. Several extinct species within the Suidae are classified in subfamilies other than Suinae. However, the classification of the extinct members of the Suoidea – the larger group that includes the Suidae, the peccary family (Tayassuidae), and related extinct species – is controversial, and different classifications vary in the number of subfamilies within Suidae and their contents. Some classifications, such as the one proposed by paleontologist Jan van der Made in 2010, even exclude from Suinae some extant taxa of Suidae, placing these excluded taxa in other subfamilies.
Oliver's warty pig or Mindoro warty pig is a small species in the pig genus (Sus) which can only be found on the island of Mindoro in the central Philippines. This species previously treated to be a subspecies of S. philippensis, was shown to be morphologically and genetically different.
The Buru babirusa is a wild pig-like animal native to the Indonesian islands of Buru, the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu. It is also known as the Moluccan babirusa, golden babirusa or hairy babirusa. Traditionally, this relatively small species included the other babirusas as subspecies, but it has been recommended treating them as separate species based on differences in their morphology. As also suggested by its alternative common names, the Buru babirusa has relatively long thick, gold-brown body-hair – a feature not shared by the other extant babirusas.
Babyrousa bolabatuensis, the Bola Batu babirusa, is a species of babirusa from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It was first described in 1950 as a subspecies of Babyrousa babyrussa, then the only recognized species of babirusa, and raised to species rank by Colin Groves and Erik Meijaard in 2002. At present the Bola Batu babirusa is only known for certain from subfossil remains from the southern arm of Sulawesi. Based on a single skull from central Sulawesi it has been suggested that babirusas from this part of Sulawesi represent an extant population of the Bola Batu babirusa, and this was followed in the third edition of Mammal Species of the World. However, the most recent major review also found similarities between the central Sulawesi specimen and the Togian babirusa, leading them to conclude that it represents an undescribed taxon and that the taxonomic position of central Sulawesi babirusas only can be determined through additional specimens. Subfossil remains from the south-western arm of Sulawesi, where now likely extinct, have been classified as Bola Batu babirusas, but these were considered unclassifiable in 2002, as were extant populations from the eastern arm of Sulawesi and Buton due to the lack of specimens. Due to these uncertainties, the IUCN Red List provisionally synonymized B. bolabatuensis under the northern Sulawesi species, B. celebensis, pending clarification of the taxonomy of Sulawesi babirusas.
The Togian babirusa, also known as the Malenge babirusa, is the largest species of babirusa. It is endemic to the Togian Islands of Indonesia, but was considered a subspecies of Babyrousa babyrussa until 2002. Compared to the better-known north Sulawesi babirusa, the Togian babirusa is larger, has a well-developed tail-tuft, and the upper canines of the male are relatively "short, slender, rotated forwards, and always converge". The Togian babirusa is omnivorous, feeding mainly on roots and fallen fruit but also worms and invertebrates. Unlike other pig species, the Togian babirusa does not root at the ground with its snout when foraging, but instead can be seen pawing at the ground to uproot plants.