Warthog

Warthogs are members of Suidae, the pig family, and have a barrel-shaped body and a large head with huge, curved tusks. They are grayish-brown in color, and a distinct reddish mane is present on the neck and the back. They also often have a white beard on their cheeks. The warts that warthogs are named after are located on their heads. They have six in total, and they are found behind and below the eye, between the corner of the mouth and the eye, and on the side of the lower jaw. In males, the warts are far more prominent and cone shaped. Male warthogs are 2-2.75 inches tall, 5-6 feet long and weigh 130-330 lbs. Females are slightly smaller and weigh around 110-260 pounds.

Warthog tails all have a tassel; otherwise, their bodies are sparsely haired. Their high eye placement allows them to look over a large area while they lower their head to graze. The clearest morphological trait that separates desert warthogs (P. aethiopicus) from common warthogs (P. africanus) is their lack of functional incisors. These two species are quite distinct genetically, and common warthogs are usually slightly larger than desert warthogs.

Warthogs are found in Africa, from Mauritania to Ethiopia and south to Namibia and eastern South Africa. They prefer savannas, light bush and grass steppes.

Though warthogs are considered omnivorous, their diet is primarily herbivorous. They mainly feed on different kinds of grass, occasionally forage berries and the bark of trees. During times of drought, they turn to bulbs, roots, and carrion for food.

While foraging, warthogs move on their wrists to search for their food. Wide calluses have developed on their wrists as an adaptation to this type of locomotion.

Warthogs are only active during the day. As soon as the sun sets, they retreat into their dens and do not leave until dawn. Warthogs may have up to 10 different burrows throughout their territory, so they always have shelter nearby. Their deep burrows are lined with grass to protect against the cold and dampness, which warthogs are vulnerable to. For most of the year, females live in small groups with one to two related females and their young. Males will occasionally join them during the day but are mainly solitary and do not stick around much after mating season.

The breeding season is dictated by the climate and takes place at the end of the rainy season. During the mating period, females will urinate up to 10 times more than males do to send signals to the males that they are available. Males will smell the scent marks from afar and investigate to determine the female’s reproductive state.

Females give birth to an average of 3 young every year and care for them in their den. Baby warthogs (called “piglets”) remain in the den for the first few days as they are sensitive to cold and heat. Their mothers come by to nurse around noon and then again at sunset. After a week they leave on short excursions with their mothers to learn how to forage and hide from predators. Piglets start grazing at 2-3 weeks and are weaned by 6 months. Offspring will follow their mother wherever she goes, suckling as much as every 40 minutes, using her as shade from the hot sun, and sometimes using her feces as a food source. They reach maturity in 17-19 months.

Warthogs are currently considered to be of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. However, their population trends are decreasing. They are abundant in some areas but threatened in others. Their biggest threats are overhunting and competition with domestic livestock for forage.

• Warthog family groups are called sounders.
• Warthogs, much like domestic pigs, cool down by wallowing in the mud.

Oakland Zoo has two warthogs, Zuva and Nahari, both born in 2025. Look out for our two warthogs exhibiting natural foraging behaviors like kneeling down on their front legs or even enjoying a good wallow in the mud.