Warthogs

There are currently about 250,000 warthogs living in the wild!

The biggest threats to warthogs are hunting by humans and loss of habitat!

Warthogs help maintain grasslands by eating specific plants and creating pathways through thick vegetation!

A warthog’s heart beats about 100 times per minute — you can count that like counting to 100!

Warthogs have excellent hearing and can rotate their ears to catch sounds from any direction!

A warthog’s tusks grow throughout their entire life and never stop growing!

Male warthogs are usually 10-20% larger than females!

Warthogs have special calluses on their knees that protect them while kneeling to eat!

When threatened, warthogs can reverse direction very quickly, even at full running speed!

Warthogs have poor eyesight but make up for it with an excellent sense of smell!

A warthog’s brain is only about the size of an orange, but they’re still very clever animals!

Warthogs can survive for several months without drinking water directly from a water source!

Warthogs use more than 15 different sounds to communicate with each other!

Young warthogs stay with their mother until they’re about a year and a half old!

Warthogs often share their burrows with other families during cold nights!

Male warthogs sometimes fight for territory using their tusks like swords!

Warthogs often visit the same water holes at the same time each day!

A warthog’s sparse hair helps them stay cool in hot African weather!

During very dry seasons, warthogs can lose up to 20% of their body weight and still survive!

A warthog’s dark skin helps protect them from harmful sun rays!

Warthogs create paths through grasslands that other animals use like nature’s highways!

During cold nights, warthogs huddle together in burrows to stay warm!

Warthogs can climb steep river banks using their strong legs and hooves!

Warthogs often hang out near zebras and antelopes because they help spot predators!

Warthogs sometimes share their water holes with elephants and rhinos!

Lions, leopards, and hyenas are the main predators that hunt warthogs!

Baby warthogs are sometimes protected by adult zebras when their mothers are feeding!

Warthogs can outrun most predators, reaching speeds of 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour)!

Young warthogs sometimes play with young baboons when they meet at water holes!

Baby warthogs start growing their first tusks when they’re about three months old!

Young warthogs learn to dig for food by watching their mothers!

A warthog’s tusks can grow up to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) per year!

Baby warthogs double their birth weight in just two weeks!

Young warthogs start eating solid food when they’re just 2–3 weeks old!

Male warthogs reach their full adult size at about 4–5 years old!

Female warthogs can have their first babies when they’re about 20 months old!

Baby warthogs learn to run almost as fast as adults by the time they’re 6 months old!

Warthogs have lived in Africa for over 1 million years!

Ancient African rock paintings show that people have known about warthogs for thousands of years!

The name “warthog” was given by European explorers who first saw them in the 1700s!

A warthog’s sense of smell is so good they can detect predators from over 100 feet (30 meters) away!

Warthogs can dig up roots that are buried 1.5 feet (45 centimeters) underground!

Warthogs are more active in the morning and evening during hot seasons!

During the rainy season, warthogs spend more time grazing in open areas!

Warthogs travel up to 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) each day looking for food in the dry season!

Warthogs visit water holes more frequently during the dry season, up to twice a day!

Warthogs have special scent glands near their eyes that produce a substance to mark their territory!

A warthog’s upper tusks can curve in a complete circle if they grow long enough!

A warthog’s leg bones are extra dense to support their weight while digging!

Warthogs spend about 6–8 hours each day looking for food!