The pygmy hog is 55 to 71 cm long and stands 20-30 cm. They weigh 6.6 to 11.8 kilograms. Their tail is 2.5 cm. Their fur coloration is dark browns and black. Their small size helps them hide in the grass. Some identifying characteristics are a small size, dark brown and black fur, and the sharply tapered head. The habitat of the pygmy hog is the grasslands of the southern foothills of the Himalayas. They are adapted to live there. Some adaptations are their small size which makes it easy to hide in the grass. Another is the tapered head of the animal which makes it easier to dig up roots and search through the shrubs for bugs, small snakes, and small lizards. They mate just before the seasonal monsoons come. They dig a trench and lay vegetation in it as a bed, then they have a litter of 3-6 piglets. It is estimated that fewer than 400 live in the wild.

 

Their population has been slowly growing back to the numbers they once were. The banning of the hunt of these animals has helped. They were once thought to be extinct. They were brought back from the brink of extinction by extensive breeding programs. This animal has a big role in its ecosystem's food web. It is eaten by several animals such as the tiger and python. It feeds on small reptiles, amphibians, and insects and also on roots and tubers. It competes for food with the others of its species, some species of deer, elk, tigers, and some birds. The main predators are the dholes, python, humans, and tigers. This animal avoids being eaten by several adaptations. Such as its small size which helps it hide in the shrubs. Also, its unique coloration helps it hide in the dirt and dying vegetation. Those are some of the adaptations of the pygmy hog or Porcula salvina.

 

Author:Tiler A.

Published: 02/2009

 

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_Hog