Color: 

Shaggy red coat, black legs, contrasting black and white markings on head.  Leaf shaped ears with long black and white tassels. A tufted white stripe along the spine.  

Size:

Length 39-57 inches, height 20-30 inches, tail 12-18 inches

Weight:

110 to 250 pounds   

Average Lifespan:

15 years

Captive Lifespan:

20 years

Central to southern Africa

Wet forested areas, including lowland forests up to mountain forests

Mating: 

Dec-Feb

Gestation/Incubation:

Approx. 4 months   

Litter/Clutch Size:

1-4

Mature: 

Weaned after 3-4 months; females sexually mature at 3 years

Omnivorous: fruits, tubers, roots, berries, small mammals, small reptiles, birds, eggs, insects, carrion.

Nocturnal; rest during the day in a self excavated burrow. Have a large nose for rooting and digging.  Live in small troops of  4 up to 20; a male (boar), several females (sows) and their piglets.

1. Have two razor sharp tusks that extend from their mouth used for cutting through woody roots and tubers.

2. Excellent sense of smell.

3. A group of red river hogs is called a “drift” or a “herd”.

4. Fast runners, good swimmers.