Animal profile

Wild boar

Sus scrofa

MammaliaDeciduous and mixed forest, marsh, scrub and farmlandLeast Concern

Field profile

The wild boar is the ancestor of the domestic pig and one of the most widely distributed large mammals on earth. It roots through soil for tubers, invertebrates and fallen mast, and lives in matriarchal groups with boars solitary outside the rut.

Published field notes

2026-01-18

Wild boar

A boar's tusks sharpen themselves as they grow

Both upper and lower canines in a male wild boar grow continuously through life. Each time the jaw closes the lower tusk grinds against the upper, and that repeated contact keeps a working edge on the lower weapon.

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