Ecology, Conservation and Management of Wild Pigs and Peccaries

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Part II: Species Accounts

from Halmahera, Hawaii, and Vanuwatu and were found in the

‘Pacific clade’ (Larson et al. 2005). This rules out a significant

S.  celebensis maternal input as previously proposed (Groves

1981). Feral S. celebensis have been reported from Flores, Timor,

Lendu and Simeulue and Nias islands (Groves 1981), and this has

been confirmed by mtDNA sequences for Flores (Dobney et al.

2008), but for the other islands this now needs to be reassessed.

Descriptive Notes

S. celebensis are medium-sized, short-legged pigs weighing

between 40 and 85 kg. In south-east Sulawesi they can be found

to weigh 80–85 kg in the wild (I. S. Rejeki, personal observation).

Recent forms are larger than the subfossil remains found in caves

in southern Sulawesi (Hooijer 1950) and the Pleistocene specimen

reported by Hooijer (1969). Adult males are larger than the sows,

with the male averaging 60 cm at the shoulder (National Research

Council 1983). The head and body length is about 80–130 cm, hav-

ing a rounded back and a long, tufted tail (Figures 19.2 and 19.3).

Adult animals are usually dark-haired, although some indi-

viduals are reddish-brown or yellowish in colour, sometimes

with lighter-coloured hairs on the trunk and abdomen (Groves

1981; Hardjasasmita 1987). A clear yellow snout band is usually

present, along with a distinctive tuft or ‘crest’ of longer hair on the

crown of all but the oldest adults. Adult males have three pairs

of facial warts: the preorbital pair is the largest, the infraorbital

somewhat smaller, and the mandibular warts emerging from a

whorl of hair marking their position to enlarge and eventually

dominate (in captive specimens at least) (Figures 19.2 and 19.4).

Habitat

S. celebensis lives in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from

primary forest and swamp, to open grassland, and agricultural

areas. This species is found at all altitudes up to moss forest >

2500 m or 8200 feet (Mackinnon 1981), although they are less

common above 1500 m a.s.l. (Burton & Macdonald 2009).

Movements and Home Range

There are no data on home range or movement of individuals.

Activity Patterns

Little is known on activity patterns in this species.

S. celebensis are primarily diurnal, although sometimes they

are active at night (Mustari et al. 2009). In every age-class the

dominant activity is feeding, amounting to more than 50 per

cent (Mustari et al. 2009). They usually forage during the day,

with higher activity in the early morning and the highest activity

in the late afternoon.

Figure 19.1 Sulawesi 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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