Philippine warty pig

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. Philippine warty pigs have two pairs of warts, with a tuft of hair extending outwards from the warts closest to the jaw. It has multiple native common names, but it is most widely known as baboy damo ("bush pig") in Tagalog.

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

Subspecies

There are at least two recognized subspecies of the Philippine warty pig:

  • S. p. philippensis (from Luzon and nearby islands)
  • S. p. mindanensis (from Mindanao)

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. The warty pigs in Lubang Island and its outlying islands may be a distinct species. 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 loss of habitat and heavy hunting by noose traps or trigger set bullets.

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.[2]

Genetic relation to other pigs (Suidae)

It is closely related to the Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus), and in fact was once thought to be a subspecies (i.e., S. b. philippensis) like the Palawan bearded pig (S. b. ahoenobarbus). The Palawan bearded pig is now also frequently classified not as a subspecies, but as a separate Philippine endemic pig species, S. ahoenobarbus.

Hybridization

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][3][4]

See also

References
  1. 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. "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.
  3. Blouch R. A. (1995). "CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR THREATENED SUIDS OF SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA". CiteSeerX 10.1.1.628.4528.
  4. "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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