|
Mammal. Warthogs are members of the pig family. Their curved tusks are used to dig up roots and can grow into dangerous weapons. During fights, their faces are protected by two protruding pads on each side, called warts. In an emergency, they can run at 55 km (34 mi) per hour. Warthogs kneel on their front knees to feed because they have short necks and relativity long legs. They have adapted by developing special kneepads. Warthogs allow birds, such as yellow-billed hornbills, to perch and eat parasites that live on their bodies. They are the only pigs able to live in areas that don't have water for several months a year. |
| Scientific
Name |
Lifespan |
| Phacochoerus aethiopicus |
18 years |
| Diet |
| Herbivore. Grasses, roots, berries, bark and, although they are mainly herbivorous, warthogs will sometimes eat carrion. |
| Predators and Threats |
| Lions, hyenas, and leopards. |
| Habitat |
| Savannah and lightly forested areas; Central Africa and south, and from the West Coast to the East Coast. |
