Wild Boar

• Wild Boar Classification and Evolution

The Wild Boar is a species of Wild Pig, native to the forests of Europe, north-west Africa and it is also found throughout Asia. The Wild Boar has an extremely wide distribution with the number of estimated Wild Boar subspecies ranging from 4 to 25. Naturally, it is hard to classify them all as they can easily interbreed, so it is widely agreed that there are four main subspecies which are determined by their location. They are all very similar in size and appearance, but tend to vary somewhat in colour, depending on their geographic location. The Wild Boar is an extremely adaptable animal as it is found in a variety of different habitats, eats almost anything that will fit in it's mouth and not only runs fast, but also swims well too. They are also commonly known as European Wild Pigs, Hogs or simply Boars.

• Wild Boar Anatomy and Appearance

The Wild Boar is a medium-sized mammal with a large head and front end, that leads into a smaller hind. They have a thick and course double coat of fur, that consists of a harder, bristly top layer, with a softer undercoat beneath it. The hair that runs along the ridge of the Wild Boar's back is also longer than the rest. The Wild Boar varies from brown, to black, to red or dark grey in colour, something which generally depends on the individual's location. For example Wild Boar individuals found in Western Europe tend to be brown, where those inhabiting the forests of Eastern Europe can be completely black in colour. The Wild Boar has incredibly poor eyesight due to it's very small-sized eyes, but they also have a long, straight snout which enables them to have an incredibly acute sense of smell.

• Wild Boar Distribution and Habitat

The Wild Boar is the most widely distributed land mammal on Earth as it's native range extends from Western Europe, right across to Japan to the east, and down to the rainforests of Indonesia in the south. The four separate subspecies are determined by their location with one inhabiting Europe, north-western Africa and western Asia; another is found across northern Asia and in Japan; the third inhabits the tropical jungles of India, South East Asia and the Far East, with the last being found only in Indonesia. Wild Boars are found in a variety of different habitats including tropical jungles and grasslands, but they tend to favour deciduous broad-leafed forests where the vegetation is incredibly dense.