Philippine warty pig
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Sus
Species:
S. philippensis
Binomial name
Sus philippensis
Nehring, 1886
Synonyms

Verrucophorus philippensis

The Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis) 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 (S. cebifrons), Mindoro warty pig (S. oliveri) and the Palawan bearded pig (S. ahoenobarbus), also being rare members of the family Suidae.[2] Philippine warty pigs have two pairs of "warts", with a tuft of hair extending outwards from the warts closest to the jaw. They are considered Vulnerable by the IUCN, and their population is currently declining due to multiple threats.

Description

Philippine warty pigs usually have black or dark brown fur, as well as recognizable white tufts on the side of their lower jaw (the gonion). Male pigs have four facial "warts", tusks, and gonial tufts which are larger and yellower than those of the females.[3][4]: 2 

As with many members of the genus Sus, the pigs' straight lower canines are triangular in cross-section. The canines curve upwards and compromise the male pigs' tusks. In fact, the lower surface of Philippine warty pigs' canines is typically 150% greater in diameter than the posterior surface.[5][6]: 25 [7]: 21 

One generation of pigs generally spans seven years.[1]

Subspecies

There are three recognized subspecies of the Philippine warty pig:[8]

Distribution and habitat

In general, the original distribution of S. philippensis covered the western islands of the Philippines, while the original distribution of S. cebifrons covered the central and eastern islands. Specifically, the range of Philippine warty pigs included Luzon, Biliran, Samar, Leyte, Mindoro, Mindanao, Jolo, Polillo, Catanduanes, and possibly other islands.[3][9] They are known to be locally extinct from Marinduque.[1]

However, its present distribution is declining and subject to severe fragmentation.[3] Moreover, it was formerly found in most habitats (from sea level to up to 2800 m) but is now confined to remote forests due to habitat disruption and fragmentation, heavy hunting, and attacks of African swine fever, a potentially fatal viral fever.[3][9][10]: 1605 

Wild pigs have been reported in Bohol and Sibuyan, although it is unclear whether these populations are S. cebifrons or S. philippensis. In April 2022, a Philippine warty pig was documented by a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) team while climbing Mount Apo.[11]

Hybridization

A Philippine warty pig taking a nap.

With loss of its natural habitat from deforestation and uncontrolled logging and hunting, they have been forced into close contact with domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) (the domesticated variety of the non-endemic Eurasian wild boar), and hybridization between the two species has been reported. Accordingly, genetic contamination of Philippine warty pig stock is a real and irreversible problem.[1][12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Heaney, L.; Meijaard, E. (2017). "Sus philippensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T21176A44139795. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T21176A44139795.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Layos, John King N; Geromo, Ronel B; Espina, Dinah M; Nishibori, Masahide (2022-03-28). "Insights on the historical biogeography of Philippine domestic pigs and its relationship with continental domestic pigs and wild boars". PLOS ONE. 17 (3): e0254299. Bibcode:2022PLoSO..1754299L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0254299. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 8959178.
  3. ^ a b c d "Philippine Warty Pig (Detailed Profile)". WPSG. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  4. ^ Villegas, Jhonnel P.; Ibañez, Jayson C.; Rosales, Jireh R. "Conservation and population status of the Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis) within the Obu Manuvu Ancestral Domain in Davao City, Mindanao Island, Philippines" (PDF). The Technical Journal of Philippine Ecosystems and Natural Resources. 32 (1): 1–14 – via ResearchGate.
  5. ^ Wehr, Nathaniel H.; Hess, Steven C.; Litton, Creighton M. (2018). "Biology and Impacts of Pacific Islands Invasive Species. 14.Sus scrofa,the Feral Pig (Artiodactyla: Suidae)". Pacific Science. 72 (2): 177–198. doi:10.2984/72.2.1. ISSN 0030-8870.
  6. ^ Lucchini, Vittorio; Meijaard, Erik; Diong, Cheong H.; Groves, Colin P.; Randi, Ettore (2005). "New phylogenetic perspectives among species of South‐east Asian wild pig ( Sus sp.) based on mtDNA sequences and morphometric data". Journal of Zoology. 266 (1): 25–35. doi:10.1017/S0952836905006588. ISSN 0952-8369.
  7. ^ Albarella, Umberto (2007-12-06). Pigs and Humans: 10,000 Years of Interaction. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-920704-6.
  8. ^ Groves, Colin P. (2008). "Taxonomy of wild pigs (Sus) of the Philippines". academic.oup.com. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1997.tb01277.x. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  9. ^ a b "Sus philippensis of Philippine Mamillian Fauna". 2006-09-23. Archived from the original on 23 Sep 2006. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  10. ^ Cabanas, Al John C.; de Guia, Anna Pauline O.; Vega, Renato S. A.; Dimalibot, Judeline C. (2022). "Occurrence and Distribution of Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis Nehring, 1886) in Mt. Banahaw de Tayabas, Luzon Island, Philippines". Philippine Journal of Science. 151 (5): 1605–1621. doi:10.56899/151.05.06. ISSN 0031-7683.
  11. ^ "Rare sighting of near-endangered warty pig at Mount Apo a sign nature is healing: DENR". Coconuts Manila. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  12. ^ Blouch R. A. (1995). "Conservation And Research Priorities For Threatened Suids Of South And Southeast Asia". CiteSeerX 10.1.1.628.4528.
  13. ^ "Visayan Warty Pig Conservation Programme". Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. 2014. Archived from the original on 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
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