Part III: Conservation and Management302
from the hundreds to the thousands of wild pigs being present
(e.g. Alison 2008; Cowley 2011).
Wild pigs have been reported in the following Mexican
states: Campeche, Chihuahua, Coahula, Durango, Hidalgo,
Nuevo Leon, Quintana Roo, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, and
Yucatán (Weber 1995; Villarreal et al. 2010; J. J. Mayer, unpub-
lished data). Unreported populations likely exist in other loca-
tions and states within Mexico. No nation wide population
estimate for wild pigs in Mexico has been reported.
Persisting populations of wild pigs in the West Indies have
been reported recently on the islands of Abaco, Andros, Big
Major Cay, Great Inagua and Stranger’s Cay in the Bahamas,
Cayo Coco, Cayo Paredón Grande, Cayo Sabinal, Cuba,
Guajaba, Hispaniola, Isla de la Juventud, Jamaica, Mona, Puerto
Rico and Romano in the Greater Antilles, Anegada, Barbuda,
Dominica, Montserrat, St Croix, St John and St Thomas in the
Lesser Antilles, Curacao in the Leeward Antilles, and Bermuda
(Borroto-Páez et al. 2012). Other small populations may also
exist on other islands in this region. In the early 2000s, wild pigs
on St John were estimated to number in the hundreds of animals
(NPS 2003). Borroto-Páez et al. (2012) noted that 1700 wild pigs
had been reportedly present in the late 1980s on Cayo Coco in
the Jardines del Rey archipelago north of the island of Cuba. No
estimates exist for any of these other island populations.Morphology
Because of their widely diversified ancestries, the introduced
wild pigs in North America exhibit a broad spectrum of physi-
cal diversity (Figure 28.3). In general, feral pigs and introducedEurasian wild boar comprised the original types of wild pigs
established on the continent. However, the ancestral makeup of
these animals was far more complex than a simple combination
of these two types. For example, the domestic swine introduced
into North America over the centuries have morphologically
varied from archaic/primitive domestic stock, to derived colo-
nial forms, and most recently, to highly modified, selectively
bred modern domestic breeds. In addition, the various Eurasian
wild boar introduced may have been represented by up to 7 of
the 16 typically recognized native subspecies. Further, as con-
specifics, the hybridization between feral pigs and wild boar
has increased the spectrum of physical diversity seen among
the wild pig populations in North America at present (Mayer
& Brisbin 2008, 2009). This hybrid morphological spectrum
can vary from animals that resemble pure Eurasian wild boar to
ones that completely resemble feral pigs or even domestic swine
(Mayer & Brisbin 1993). Genetic analyses have also corrobo-
rated these diverse origins (McCann et al. 2014).
Skull – The skulls of wild pigs in North America are mor-
phologically consistent with those found elsewhere within the
species’ global range. The skull variation observed among the
three types of wild pigs primarily entails differences in the over-
all length and proportionate width of the skull, the depth of the
cranial dorsal profile (i.e. almost straight to a distinctly dished
or concave appearance), and the posterior angle of the occipi-
tal wall of the cranium (i.e. variably angled from a posterior- to
an anterior-slanting plane or perspective). The proportionate
length of the rostrum/snout of the cranium also varies among
the three primary types. In addition, this cranial dorsal profileFigure 28.2 Recent distribution of
introduced wild pigs (Sus scrofa) in the
various states, provinces and countries
in North America. Cross-hatched
states/provinces and island countries
have widespread populations and
black circles denote recent localized
(and in some cases, temporary) or
small island populations..03012:52:20