Fascinating Pig Facts

  • Pigs are mammals in the Suidae family (genus Sus) of even-toed ungulates.
  • The Suidae family includes eight genera and 16 species of pigs.
  • Among these species are wild boars, warthogs, pygmy hogs and domestic pigs.
  • Pigs, like all Suids, are native to the Old World.
  • Some historians theorize that pigs were domesticated about 6000 years ago – one of the first animals to be domesticated!
  • Pigs exist on every continent except for Antarctica, northern Africa, and far northern Eurasia, according to the Encyclopaedia of Life.
  • Newborn piglets learn to respond to their mothers’ voices, and mother pigs communicate with their babies through grunts while nursing.

  • In Denmark, there are twice as many pigs as people.
  • Wild pigs play an important role in managing ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity. By rooting, and thus disturbing the soil, they create areas for new plant colonization. They also spread fruit plants by dispersing their seeds.
  • The pig is the last of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and is seen to represent fortune, honesty, happiness, and virility.
  • People with allergies sometimes have pigs as pets, because they have hair, not fur, and they do not shed.
  • Pigs are incredibly social. They form close bonds with each other and other animals.
  • Pigs are easily trained to walk on a leash, use a litter box and even do tricks.
  • Soldier pigs have gone to war, using their snouts as mine sniffers.
  • Newborn piglets learn to respond to their mothers’ voices, and mother pigs communicate with their babies through grunts while nursing.
    • In Denmark, there are twice as many pigs as people.
    • Wild pigs play an important role in managing ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity. By rooting, and thus disturbing the soil, they create areas for new plant colonization. They also spread fruit plants by dispersing their seeds.
    • The pig is the last of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and is seen to represent fortune, honesty, happiness, and virility.
    • People with allergies sometimes have pigs as pets, because they have hair, not fur, and they do not shed.
    • Pigs are incredibly social. They form close bonds with each other and other animals.
    • Pigs are easily trained to walk on a leash, use a litter box and even do tricks.
    • Soldier pigs have gone to war, using their snouts as mine sniffers.
  • Wild pigs typically live in grasslands, wetlands, rain forests, savannas, scrublands and temperate forests.
    • Pigs are very intelligent animals according to studies, and it is even said that they are the smartest animals on the farm.
    • They rank third, in studied intelligence, behind apes and dolphins.
    • They are curious and insightful animals.
    • Today there are tiny pigs, fluffy pigs, wild boars, and, the most common, big, pink-skinned domestic pig.
    • A female pig is called a sow, while the male  is called a boar. A number of pigs together is called a herd.
    • All pigs have small eyes and poor eyesight.
    • Pigs can see things along the sides of their head, which is useful for spotting food, other pigs and potential predators, but they’re not great at seeing what’s right in front of them.
    • They make up for this lack of frontal vision with an excellent sense of smell.
    • They can use their snouts to detect food and, thanks to a little extra muscle that gives it flexibility and strength, the snout can also root out food in the ground.
    • Compared to humans, a pig has 15,000 taste buds while humans only have 9,000.
    • Pigs can drink up to 52 litres of water every day.
    • According to studies, a pig’s squeal can range from 10 to 115 decibels whereas a Concorde jet emits less than 112 decibels.
    • In comparison to their body size, pigs have small lungs.
    • Pigs are not really a dirty animals. Pigs do not have functional sweat glands, that’s why they roll in mud to keep cool, and it helps them to regulate their body temperature.
    • Mud also provides the pigs’ protection against flies and parasites, apart from being used as a form of sunscreen, which protects their skin from sunburn.
    • Pigs usually weigh between 140 and 300 kilograms, but domestic pigs are often bred to be heavier.
    • Pigs have 4 toes on each foot, but they only walk on 2.
    • Pigs have excellent memories. They can remember things for years and can recognize and remember objects
    • A mature pig has 44 teeth.
    • These canine teeth, called tusks, grow continuously, and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other.
    • In their natural surroundings, pigs spend hours playing, sunbathing, and exploring.
    • Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction and are known to have found their way home over great distances.
    • Pigs communicate constantly with one another using a variety of grunts and squeaks.
    • Pigs are very peaceful animals, rarely showing aggression. The exception, as with many animals, is when a mother (sow) with her young offspring is provoked or threatened.
    • Pigs snuggle very close to each other and prefer to sleep nose to nose.
    • To keep warm, pigs may cuddle up with one another.
    • Like humans, they also dream, according to some studies.
    • Pigs can run at speeds of almost 20 km/h.
    • On average, pigs live for between 15 and 20 years (Wild pigs live 5 to 20 years).
    • Pigs, boars, and hogs are omnivores and will eat just about anything.
    • Domestic pigs and hogs are fed feed that is made from corn, wheat, soy or barley.
    • Sow’s pregnancy lasts 114 days.
    • Female pigs, called cows or sows, give birth twice a year to litters of around 6 to 12 young.
    • The baby of a pig is called a piglet.
    • At birth, piglets weigh around 1.1 kg to 1.5kg, and within a week, most piglets will double their weight.
    • When they are two to four weeks old, the piglets are weaned.
    • Baby pigs are very aggressive when competing for milk from their mothers.
    • Newborn piglets learn to respond to their mothers’ voices, and mother pigs communicate with their babies through grunts while nursing.

    • In Denmark, there are twice as many pigs as people.
    • Wild pigs play an important role in managing ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity. By rooting, and thus disturbing the soil, they create areas for new plant colonization. They also spread fruit plants by dispersing their seeds.
    • The pig is the last of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and is seen to represent fortune, honesty, happiness, and virility.
    • People with allergies sometimes have pigs as pets, because they have hair, not fur, and they do not shed.
    • Pigs are incredibly social. They form close bonds with each other and other animals.
    • Pigs are easily trained to walk on a leash, use a litter box and even do tricks.
    • Soldier pigs have gone to war, using their snouts as mine sniffers.

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