babirusa

also n.
Any of several wild pigs of the genus Babyrousa of Indonesia, having long, upward-curving tusks in the male.

[Malay babirusa : babi, hog + rusa, deer.]

Babyrousa babyrussa

SUBFAMILY

Babirusinae

TAXONOMY

Babyrousa babyrussa (Linnaeus, 1758), Borneo.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Babiroussa; German: Hirscheber; Spanish: Babirusa.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

May weigh 132–220 lb (60–100 kg), and measure 34–39 in (87–100 cm) in length and 25–32 in (65–80 cm) in height, depending on the subspecies. The length, thickness, and distribution of the pelage vary with location with some individuals appearing almost naked, while others have a long, coarse coat. Unlike most pigs, the young bear no stripes. The skin is brownish gray in color. The most striking features are the male's canines, which emerge vertically through the top of the snout and curve backwards toward the head. Females have two pair of mammae.

DISTRIBUTION

Endemic to the island of Sulawesi where it is still found in many areas. Also present on the Togian islands of Batudaka, Togian, and Talatakoh, the Sula islands of Mangole and Taliabu, as well as the island of Buru.

HABITAT

Are found in tropical rainforests, canebrakes, and on the banks of rivers and lakes where water vegetation is abundant.

BEHAVIOR

Diurnal with a peak in activity in the morning hours. Females may live in groups with one to five other adult females and their young. Males tend to be solitary. The most frequent type of grouping seen at a natural saltlick was solitary males followed by single females with young, but groups as large as 15 individuals have been observed. Construct nests for sleeping and shelter from the rain. Adult females are dominant to sub-adult males but subordinate to adult males. Larger females are dominant to smaller ones. Predators include pythons (Python reticulatus and P. molurus), and possibly civets (Viverra spp.). Agonistic behavior takes the form of displays, body pushing and rubbing, as well as boxing. The lower tusks may be used for attack or defense, whereas the upper, protruding canines seem to be used to protect the face from the lower canines of opponents. It has been suggested that ploughing behavior, wherein the individual pushes its head into the ground, slides forward, and rolls from side to side, has a scent-marking function.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Omnivorous, consuming a diet of fruit, nuts, leaves, roots, and some animal material. Also consume soil and rock fragments at saltlicks. Roots only in very soft, moist soil because it lacks a rostral bone in its snout. In captivity, both sexes have been known to opportunistically cannibalize young. A unique feature of the digestive tract is a large area of mucous-producing cardiac glands that are thought to aid in fermentation.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Females will give birth year round in captivity, but may do so less frequently in the wild. Sexual maturity may be attained at five to 10 months of age. The estrous cycle is 28–42 days, with estrus lasting one to three days. Males may mount the female multiple times before intromission, and copulation bouts may last 15–30 minutes; average copulation lasts three minutes. The reproductive lifespan of females may begin at one year of age and continue through age 14. The gestation period is 155–175 days (mean 163 days) and the usual litter is one to two piglets. In captivity, females often give birth at night. Females separate from the group to give birth in nests. Young are weaned at 26–32 weeks, though they begin to nibble solid foods at one week of age. Nursing frequency is highest in the first month postpartum and declines thereafter. The average nursing bout length is 10 minutes, longer than most suids.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Considered Vulnerable or Endangered by the IUCN, depending on the subspecies, and it is on Appendix I of CITES. Designated as endangered by the United States Department of the Interior in 1980; given full protection under Indonesian law in 1931. The main threats are hunting, both commercial and subsistence, and loss of habitat. A 1997 census estimated that there were 5,000 babirusa remaining in the wild.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Most hunting activity is focused on the Sulawesi warty pig; however, babirusa are also taken as a source of protein. This species has not been reported to be a crop pest. Babirusa skulls are sold in local markets to tourists and in large department stores in Jakarta.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: Indonesian wild pig with enormous curved canine teeth
  Synonyms: babiroussa, babirussa, Babyrousa Babyrussa

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