Ecology, Conservation and Management of Wild Pigs and Peccaries

Part II: Species Accounts

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Taxonomy

This species was originally considered a subspecies of the

Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis), but it was recognized as a

full species in 1991 (Oliver 1992, 1995; Oliver et al. 1993; Groves

1997, 2001; Wu et al. 2006). Recently the two subspecies Sus

philippensis philippensis and S. p. mindanensis seem quite dis-

tinct and studies are ongoing to determine whether these two

taxa should be elevated to species status (Cruzana et al. 2005;

Meijaard et al. 2011).

Subspecies and Distribution

There are two recognized subspecies: S. p. philippensis from

Luzon  and associated islands, and S. p. mindanensis from

Mindanao and surrounding islands (Oliver et al. 1993).

Unpublished phylogenetic studies of the mitochondrial

cytochrome b and D-loop region by a team of Philippine and

Japanese scientists indicated that these two subspecies are dis-

tinct and the species S. philippensis paraphyletic. The philippensis

group was more closely associated with S. cebifrons, suggesting

an affiliation with the southern and central Philippines. The

mindanensis group, on the other hand, was more closely associ-

ated with S. barbatus, S. celebensis, and S. verrucosus, indicating

a closer relationship with these Sundaland species (and prob-

ably with S. ahoenobarbus on Palawan, which was not included

in their study) (T. Ozawa in litt., 20 October 2014). Until this

research is published, and the taxonomy revised, we treat the two

taxa under their original status as subspecies of S. philippensis.

The Philippine warty pig occurs on many islands in the

Philippines and it is replaced by Palawan warty pig (S. ahoeno-

barbus) in the Palawan islands, in Mindoro by S. oliveri, and on

Panay and Negros by S. cebifrons (Figure 15.1). S. (p.) mindanen-

sis occurs in Basilan, Camiguin Sul, Mindanao, Bohol, Biliran,

Samar, and Leyte, while one species from Tawi Tawi Island in

the Sulu Archipelago also grouped with this taxon in a phylo-

genetic study using D-loop and cytochrome b DNA sequences

(T. Ozawa in litt., 21 July 2015). S. (p.) philippensis is distrib-

uted in the islands of Luzon, Polillo, Catanduanes in the Greater

Luzon Faunal Region (Heaney et al. 2006).

In a recent review, Oliver (1995) summarized the distribution

of S. philippensis in existing and proposed national parks. This

included the following areas: (1) Mt. Data Luzon, which mostly

Figure 15.1 Philippine warty pig distribution (source: IUCN 2008, Red List of Threatened Species). (A simplified black and white version of this figure will appear in some

formats. For the colour version, please refer to the plate section.)

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