Ten fun facts about Pigs
Fact 1
Pigs have large heads, long snouts, heavy bodies covered with bristly hair and a short curled tail.
Fact 2
They are intelligent and highly social animals that can be trained and taught tricks. They use grunts to communicate with each other.
Fact 3
These mammals harbor a range of parasites and diseases that can be easily transmitted to humans.
Fact 4
A male pig is called a boar and a female is called Gilt or Sow. A sow gives births to a litter containing 7 to 12 piglets about twice a year. The gestation period is 114 days.
Fact 5
An adult pig weighs between 50 kg to 350 kg. A baby piglet weighs 1.5 kg at birth and will double its weight in just 7 days.
Fact 6
Pigs have 44 teeth. Their canine teeth or “tusks” continue to grow and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other. They are omnivores and eat ferns, grass, roots, flowers, fruits, dead insects, carrion, tree barks and worms.
Fact 7
They are very clean animals. They have no sweat glands and roll in the mud to cool their skin.
Fact 8
The snouts of pigs are sensitive and they possess a highly developed sense organ.
Fact 9
They have four toes on each hoof but walk on only two toes per foot. They can drink up to 14 gallons of water a day and can run a 7 minute mile.
Fact 10
The collective name for a group is a herd.
More interesting reads about...
Guinea Pigs
Are small short-eared tailless domesticated rodents of South American origin belonging to the Cavia porcellus family.
Hedgehogs
Are small mammals native to Asia, Europe and Africa that thrive in warm temperatures.
Bisons
Are large humped animals with a shaggy mane, large heads and short horns and look similar to wild oxen.
Komodo Dragons
Are large, powerful, living lizards with long flat heads, round snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs and huge muscular tails.
Toads
Are tail-less amphibians with stout bodies and long hind limbs for leaping of the family Bugonidae.
Hippopotamuses
Are extremely heavyweight animals with a round body, short, stocky legs and a large head.
Walruses
Are the most garrulous pinnipeds or marine mammals with broad heads, flippers, short muzzle, small eyes, tusks and whiskers.
Gorillas
Are the only animals that have a DNA profile that is almost 98% similar to humans.
Goats
Are cloven-hoofed ruminant mammals belonging to the Bovidae family.
MORE IN ANIMALS
