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Warthog Facts & Worksheets

The warthog is a wild pig that lives in open and semi-open habitats, known for its head and body covered in bristly hairs and tufts on its cheeks and tail

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Known for its strength, intelligence, and flexibility, a warthog is part of the genus Phacochoerus in the family Suidae. It is a wild pig that lives in open and semi-open habitats, known for its head and body covered in bristly hairs and tufts on its cheeks and tail. Tough and sturdy, both species of warthog are considered to be of Least Concern by the IUCN.

See the fact file below for more information on the Warthog or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Warthog worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

COMMON WARTHOG

  • The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is widespread in the savannahs of Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia down to South Africa. 
  • It has four subspecies: (1) Nolan warthog (P. a. africanus) in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan; (2) Eritrean warthog (P. a. aeliani) in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia; (3) Central African warthog (P. a. massaicus) in Kenya and Tanzania; and (4) Southern warthog (P. a. sundevalli) in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
  • It is medium in size, with a head-and-body length ranging from 0.9–1.5m, and a shoulder height from 63.5–85cm. Females, at 45–75kg, are relatively smaller and lighter than males, at 60 to 150kg. 
  • It has two pairs of tusks curving upwards out of its mouth. The bottom pair, which is shorter in length than the upper pair, becomes razor-sharp by rubbing against the upper tusks once the mouth is opened and closed. These tusks are not used for digging; instead, they are utilized for combat against other warthogs and in defense against predators. The upper canine teeth reach 25.5cm long and have an elliptical cross-section, about 4.5cm deep and 2.5cm wide. 
  • A common warthog’s constantly growing canine teeth consist of ivory, which are usually removed. 
  • The tusks, especially the upper pair, function the same way as elephant tusks with a scaled-down design. These long, curved teeth are carved predominantly for tourist monopoly and trade in east and southern Africa.
  • A common warthog’s head is large, with a mane that runs down the spine to the middle section of the back. Its body is covered with sparse hairs, usually black or brown. Its tail is long and ends with a tuft of hair. 
  • It lacks subcutaneous fat. Its coat has very little scattered hair, causing its vulnerability  to extreme environmental temperatures.
  • It is the only pig species that has adapted to grazing and savanna habitats. 
  • It is omnivorous and feeds on grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs, and carrion. A common warthog’s diet depends on the season and the availability of several food items. During wet seasons, it grazes on short perennial grasses. In dry seasons, it eats bulbs, rhizomes, and nutritious roots.
  • It uses both its snout and feet to dig. When feeding, it often bends its front feet backward and moves around on its wrists. 
  • Despite being able to dig its own burrows, the common warthog commonly settles in abandoned burrows of other animals, especially aardvarks. It usually reverses into burrows, with its head facing the opening, ready to fend off any possible danger nearby. 
  • Common warthogs will wallow in mud to manage high temperatures and huddle together for warmth during low temperatures.
  • A common warthog prefers flight to fight and its primary defense is to flee through fast sprinting, although males aggressively combat each other during the mating season.
  • Its common predators include humans, lions, leopards, cheetahs, crocodiles, wild dogs, and hyenas. Common warthog piglets are sometimes preyed upon by birds of prey, such as Verreaux’s eagle owls and martial eagles.
  • A common warthog is not territorial; rather, it occupies a home range. It lives in groups called sounders. Females stay in these groups with their young and other females.
  • Male common warthogs tend to mark their territories, such as sleeping and feeding areas and waterholes.
  • It uses its tusk marking during courtship, for antagonistic behavior, and to confirm its status.
  • It is a seasonal breeder. Rutting starts in the late rainy or early dry season and giving birth begins near the start of the next rainy season. The typical gestation period is between five to six months.
  • The common warthog is exposed to several threats, such as drought and hunting, which may lead to localized extinctions.

DESERT WARTHOG

  • The desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is an even-toed ungulate found in northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. 
  • It has two subspecies: the extant Somali warthog (P. a. delamerei) and the then-extinct Cape warthog (P. a. aethiopicus) of South Africa.
  • A desert warthog is stocky, reaching an average length of 125cm and weighing about 75kg with males relatively larger than females. 
  • Unlike the common species, the desert warthog has a flattened head with unique facial paired protuberances, also known as warts, and large curving tusks. These features are not seen in juveniles but grow over time. 
  • Similar to common warthogs, its body is sparsely covered with bristly hairs and majority runs along the spine and forms a crest. It has a long, thin tail tipped with a small tuft of coarse hair. 
  • What sets a desert warthog apart from a common warthog is its distinct facial characteristics, such as the curled-back tips at the end of its ears, lack of incisors, and a larger snout. The suborbital areas in a desert warthog are swollen, forming pouches that often reach the base of  genal warts.
  • It is endemic to the Horn of Africa. It lives in the open arid countryside, including thin woodland with scattered trees, xerophytic shrubland, and sandy plains, but not upland areas.
  • Just like a common warthog, it lives in social groups called sounders. 
  • It is diurnal and is largely herbivorous. A female desert warthog feeds on grasses, leafy plants, flowers, and fruit. It digs up rhizomes, edible tubers, and bulbs with its snout and tusks. It also consumes insects when food is scarce and even carrion. Occasionally, it may eat dung, including its own, and will tear bark from trees.
  • According to research, the desert warthog was experimentally infected with a virus that causes African swine fever. It was discovered that these species displayed no external signs of the infection but remained infective to domestic pigs. To reduce the risk of infection, farmers used to shoot desert warthogs. Currently, researchers have found out that the disease is transmitted by the tick Ornithodoros moubata. 
  • The desert warthog is also a vital host of the tsetse fly, and in some parts of its geographical distribution, efforts are being made to reduce the warthog population because of this.

Warthog Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Warthog across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Warthog which is a wild pig that lives in open and semi-open habitats, known for its head and body covered in bristly hairs and tufts on its cheeks and tail.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Warthog Facts
  • Creature Feature
  • Fast Facts
  • Warthog Wiki
  • Life Stages
  • Label a Warthog
  • Jar of Facts
  • Warthog Species
  • Other Ungulates
  • Hakuna Matata
  • Poem For Comparison

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Link will appear as Warthog Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 18, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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