ECHIVARRE, LORD EISSEJ

BSED - III

Common name: Visayan

warty pig

Scientific name: Sus

cebifrons

CLASSIFICATION
Animalia
Kingdom: Chordata
Phylum: Mammalia
Class: Artiodactyla
Order: Suiformes
Suborder: Suidae
Family: Suini
Tribe: Sus
Genus:

TAXONOMY
Sus cebifrons
Type locality: Philippines, Cebu Island.

Wild pig taxonomy has changed significantly in recent years: only in 1993
did Sus cebifrons become widely recognized as a separate species. Prior to
this, the Visayan warty pig was considered by various authors to be a
subspecies of the Sulawesi warty pig (i.e. Sus celebensis negrinus), Philippine
warty pig (Sus philippensis cebifrons), or the bearded pig (Sus barbatus
cebifrons). Given its history of being included within other pig species, it is
perhaps surprising that recent molecular research indicates that this species
is possibly the most genetically distinct member of genus Sus(Oliver, 2004b)

Some authors consider the Visayan warty pig to be monotypic, while other
recognize two subspecies based on islands of origin: S. c. cebifrons, now
extinct from Cebu, and S. c. negrinus from Negros . A third subspecies from
Panay may exist, but the required studies on body and skull morphology
have not yet been conducted. S. negrinus is a synonym for S. cebifrons .

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Like many island species, the Visayan warty pig is relatively small in size.
Males are much larger than females, with up to a four-fold difference in body
weights between the sexes. These pigs are usually lean, but can become
obese in captivity .

Reported measurements for Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons)

Head and body length: About 100 cm
Shoulder height: 30-45 cm (females), up to 63 cm (males)
Tail length: 23 cm
Adult weight: 20-35 kg (females), 35-40 kg, up to 80 kg (males)
S. cebifrons is dark grey or black in overall color. Sparse bristly hairs cover
most of the body - in females and young males these are predominantly
black in color, while in adult males there is often a predominance of silver- or
fawn-colored bristles. Skins of adult males from Negros exhibit a
predominance of white hair on the shoulders and sides. A tuft of hair is
usually present on the crown of the head; this tends to be either dark
reddish-brown or black with scattered red or straw-colored hairs. In males
(and females to a lesser extent) from Panay, this tuft is expanded into a long
mane which extends from the forehead down the back to the rump . This
mane is grown and shed annually, and is one of the most distinctive
characters of this species, often flopping over the face of the boar and
obscuring the eyes.

The body shape is typical of pigs, being barrel-like in form with relatively
short legs. Females possess three pairs of mammary glands (also present,
but not functional, in males). Other native and domestic Filipino pigs - as well
as hybrids between these species and S. cebifrons - possess at least four
pairs, providing an important key in the identification of purebred Visayan
warty pigs.

The high-crowned skull is relatively small in both sexes, and sexual

dimorphism is highly evident in skull morphology. Externally, the head is
elongated with a terminal nasal disc. The ears are small and upright, with
slightly pointed tips. Despite being named a "warty pig", the facial warts
of S. cebifrons are typically small; males from Panay have the largest warts.
Visayan warty pigs never grow gonial warts (on the angle of the jaw) - this
spot is marked in males by a wide white tuft of hair; in females, there is
usually no tuft and only a small white spot present. Male Visayan warty pigs
possess large canines which protrude from the mouth as tusks.

In both sexes, the face is marked with a conspicuous whitish stripe which
crosses the bridge of the nose just behind the mouth and follows the jawline
to the angle of the jaw. This band is generally less obvious in females than
males, but is one of the primary distinguishing characteristics for
distinguishing S. cebifrons from other Philippine wild pigs.

REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

The gestation period for S. cebifrons is approximately 118 days. One or two
weeks prior to giving birth, females begin showing nesting behavior and may
become aggressive to conspecifics. Females usually give birth overnight, and
are very protective of their offspring. Reports from native hunters indicate
that the average number of piglets per litter in the wild is three or four, while
others suggests average litter size is two or three. These figures are
corroborated by captive births: six of ten North American captive-born litters
contained three offspring, with half of the remaining four litters contained
two and four offspring each. A record number of five offspring in a litter was
observed in two Philippine breeding centers in 2005, although the piglets had
to be weaned earlier than usual to help the female regain condition. In the
wild, piglets are usually observed during the region's dry season from
January to March.

Young Visayan warty pigs are marked with thick stripes which run from the
shoulders to the rump, alternating between orange-brown and black. There
are typically four black stripes; one pair runs down the back on either side of
a lighter dorsal line, with another stripe running along the flanks and
haunches on both sides. The striping of the juvenile coat loses definition at
seven to nine months of age and adult coloration is fully achieved after one
year. Youngsters begin testing solid food at one week of age, and may be
weaned by six months. Females are capable of producing a litter every 8 to
12 months .

Females reach sexual maturity at two or three years of age, although captive
individuals have conceived at 12 months of age. Males may be capable of
siring offspring at 14 months, but the characteristics of adult males do not
develop until after two years. In the wild, Visayan warty pigs are believed to
live up to 10-15 years.

ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

Knowledge of the Visayan warty pig from the wild is very scarce, due to the
rarity of this species, the scarcity of natural habitat, and the challenges
involved with observing these animals in the wild. This species was once
found in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from lowland and highland
grasslands as well as primary and secondary forest. This species is now
restricted to densely forested areas on just two islands in the Philippines.

This species is sociable, living in groups of three to over a dozen animals.

The composition of these groups is typically a single adult male with several
females (usually three or four, as indicated by local hunters), plus young
individuals of both sexes. Solitary males have also been reported, but are
encountered only rarely.

In captivity, S. cebifrons will use mud wallows. While pigs are generally not
excellent jumpers, one juvenile female on Negros was observed clearing a
meter-high fence during a capture attempt.

S. cebifrons, like most pig species, is omnivorous. As determined though

indirect observations of tracks and scat, Visayan warty pigs appear to feed
on plant species such as Lithocarpus (Fagaceae), Platea excelsa (Icainaceae),
and Dillenia reifferscheidia(Dilleniaceae). These authors suggest
that Lithocarpus and Dillenia may depend solely on S. cebifrons for seed
dispersal. Other plant species identified in the diet by Cummings include
"Gabe gabe" and "Silan" (Colocasia sp. - a favorite of this species),
"Lintakuban" (a fruiting tree), "Kagay" vine, "Tugis" palms, wild bananas,
avocado, "Batwan", "Lumboy lumboy", and casava. Earthworms ("Duduloy")
are frequently consumed.

DISTRIBUTION

S. cebifrons is endemic to the Negros-Panay faunal region of the Philippines,

with a range encompassing the Visayan Islands of Cebu (where it is now
extinct, the last reports being in the 1960s), Negros, Panay, and Guimaras
(now extinct). This species may also be present on the island of Masbate (a
few animals were present in 1993, but it is not known if the population still
survives), and may once have lived on Siquijor and Bohol (where it is now
believed to be extinct).

CONSERVATION STATUS

The Visayan warty pig has been listed as critically endangered (Criteria
A4cde) by the IUCN. It is one of the most endangered species of wild pig,
being extinct in over 95% of its former range and now found only in small,
fragmented populations. There have been no recent published estimates of
population numbers surviving in the wild.

While small isolated populations face numerous problems sustaining their

numbers, in the case of the Visayan warty pig there are far more pressing
concerns. Human impacts - including habitat destruction, persecution (a
result of crop raiding), and intensive hunting for meat - continue to reduce
both absolute numbers of Visayan warty pigs and their potential to maintain
their numbers by reducing available resources. Domestic pigs pose a
significant threat to this species, hybridizing with wild warty pigs as well as
introducing diseases and parasites. Visayan warty pigs killed by poachers
now show (with increasing frequency) obvious hybrid characters, including
large ears, reduced manes, and even piebald markings. Three rescue and
breeding centers for this species have been created within the Philippines,
and an international breeding program is underway, with captive stock in
both North America and Europe.

REMARKS

Sus is Latin, meaning a pig. The species name cebifrons is likely a

combination of Cebu (the island on which the type specimen was collected),
and the Latin word frons, meaning the forehead or brow, a reference to the
long mane and forehead tuft. Although now extinct on the island of Cebu, S.
cebifrons is sometimes called the Cebu bearded pig as a result of the
provenance of the type specimen.

Local names
Baboy ilahas [on Visayas; literally "wild pig"]
Baboy do mor [Local Philippine dialect]
Baboy talunon [on Negros]
Manggalisak banban [half-grown male in Bisayan]
Biggal [sow in Bisayan]
Bakatin [small pig in Bisayan]

Sources

http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Sus_cebifronsReferences.html
http://www.arkive.org/visayan-warty-pig/sus-cebifrons/
http://pbcfi.org.ph/programmes/species/visayan-warty-pig