Chapter 12: Bushpig Potamochoerus larvatus (F. Cuvier, 1822)125
higher (Wilson 1968): males 77.5 kg (n = 52) and females 72.0 kg
(n = 62, maximum: 96.0). There appear to be no significant dif-
ferences in body mass between the sexes. The morphology of the
male head is different to that of the female head, partly explain-
ing the slightly higher body mass values for male bushpigs.
Males develop three pairs of wart-like facial structures: over the
canine root flanges on the snout (pre-ocular snout knobs), on the
malar eminences (infraocular), and on the jaw angles (gonial).
Furthermore, tusk pouch glands are confined to male bushpigs.
Whitish whiskers (cheek beards) and ears tufted with termi-
nal tassels of hairs are typical for the species. Males in southern
Cape forests have strikingly white-coloured faces (Figure 12.2).
The coat consists of relatively long, bristly hairs with a long
dorsal, whitish crest, but no undercoat. The coat colour is vari-
able within species and between subspecies and changes with
ontogenetic development. The neonatal coat of pale yellowish
buff stripes on a brown colour is replaced by a rufous brown
coat colour, gradually changing towards the colour at maturity:
light brown, grey–brown to dark brown/black. The tail consists
of sagitally aligned (feathered) black terminal hairs.
The fairly narrow and elongated bushpig skull has a typical
straight dorsoventral profile. In males there are maxillary flanges
around the roots of the upper canines. On these flanges are ele-
vated crests, the upper parts of these crests being rugose. The nasals
widen above the canine flanges and in males there is an expanded
rugose area on the nasals and the adjoining part of the maxillae.
These rugose flange crests are covered with cartilaginous tissue to
form the preocular snout tuberosities. Furthermore, Cooke and
Wilkinson (1978) provided detailed and comparative descrip-
tions of suid skull characteristics. According to these authors the
bushpig is the least specialized of the African suids. The bush-
pig has a nearly complete and relatively unspecialized dentition
(Kingdon 1979).The dental formula of the permanent dentition
of adults is I3/3. C1/1. P4/3. M3/3(×2) = 42. Some individuals
may have 40 or 44 teeth depending on the absence or presence
of the lower and upper premolars (Seydack 1983). The molars
are brachyodont (low-crowned) and bunodont (blunt-rounded
crowns), a typically omnivore dentition.
Habitat
Bushpigs inhabit relatively dense vegetation types which provide
suitable food, cover, and water. Accordingly, suitable habitat is
typically associated with forests, riverine and xeric scrub forests
and other thicket formations. Such may occur from sea level up
to altitudes of 4000 m in East African mountains and highlands
(Vercammen et al. 1993). In South Africa, bushpigs occur in
Afromontane forests, Subtropical Transitional Thickets (such
as Kaffrarian Dune Thicket, Valley Bushveld, Alexandria Forest
and Noorsveld) and Bushclump Savanna. Their presence was
also recorded in parts of the Cape Fynbos Shrublands, Dune
Fynbos, Renosterveld, and Karroid Shrublands where these
vegetation types adjoined forest, thicket or agricultural food
sources (Seydack 1990). Moister forest parts were preferred in
southern Cape forests (Seydack 1990).
Bushpigs occupy well-covered habitat because its omnivo-
rous food requirements can be met in such environments.
Secondarily, they adapt to variable conditions of cover by avoid-
ing open areas during day light hours as part of anti-predator
behaviour. They have to satisfy their food requirements from
the stratum of c.0.5 m above and below the ground surface.
Within this layer, sufficient vegetable matter digestible by omni-
vores must be available. As generally valid for suids, within the
constraints of adequate food resources, bushpigs exhibit great
flexibility and adaptability to a wide range of habitat conditions.
Tinley (1977), for example, described the species as abundant
throughout the Gorongoza system (Mozambique), from moun-
tain summits to mangrove marshes; only being absent from
extensive grasslands.Movements and Home Range
Average daily range distances varied between 0.48 and 5.84
km, with a mean of 3.0 km (Table 12.1); with an average rate
of movement of 238 m/hour active. Bushpig home ranges were
regularly traversed within one to four days. Both sexes
were equally involved and territorial patrolling was observed
to be an important factor underlying this behaviour. Bushpig
movements are generally irregular, implying that they normally
do not frequent the same feeding areas or use the same resting
sites on consecutive days (Jobaert 1958; Seydack 1990).
The mean for eight estimated home range sizes in southern
Cape forests (South Africa) was 7.2 km^2 ; ranging between 3.8
and 10.1 km^2 (Seydack 1990). Bushpig home range sizes of up to
10 km^2 have been recorded (Kingdon 1979).Activity Patterns
Bushpigs are predominantly nocturnal (Breytenbach & Skinner
1982; Seydack 1990, 1991, 2013). Peak foraging activity occurs
between 18:00 and 22:00 in both summer and winter. They
were recorded to be active, on average, for 13.7 hours per day
in southern Cape forests (Seydack 1990). Resting in summerTable 12.1 Mean ranging distances differentiated over three-hour periods and two seasons.Ranging distance means (m) for three-hour periods for summer (S) and winter (W)
15–18 h 18–21 h 21–24 h 0–3 h 3–6 h 6–9 h 9–12 h 12–15 h ∑
S 303 658 513 458 246 395 305 77 2955
W 439 808 678 241 248 459 270 81 3224
S + W 370 731 594 354 247 428 286 79 3089
Southern Cape forests (Seydack 1990).01412:38:17