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Babirusa Pigs
Babirusa Pig Facts
It's a Deer; No It's a Hippo. Well, Technically It's a Pig
Babirusas have a very distinct look about them. They are linked, through
paleontology record, to hippos. Their hairless, wrinkly, brownish-pink
skin is very reminiscent of hippos, but their upper tusks resemble the
antlers on deer. The name "babi-rusa" translates to pig-deer. Like deer,
they have long legs and are swift runners. However, they are technically
members of the pig family. Looking at them conjures lots of ideas about
who they are really related to.
A Face Only a Mother Could Love
The Babirusas' eerie eyes and the unusual tusks growing right through the roof
of the male's snout make the babirusa an animal like none other.
The most noticeable feature is the tusks. Males have a pair of lower tusks like
many other species of pigs. They also have an impressive pair of curved tusks
poking through their upper snout and curving toward their foreheads. Scientists
aren't quite sure what they are for, but they may be used to protect their face
and eyes when the males fight. Sulawesi natives are convinced that these tusks
hook over low-hanging branches to support the babirusa's head as it rests.
The upper tusks of a male babirusa can grow up to a foot long. Males use trees and stones to sharpen their lower tusks. Females either lack the upper tusks or they are very small. Female tusks are usually brittle and loose in their sockets.
In the Mood for Love
Unlike other pig species, the babirusa has only one to three babies in each litter. During mating season the males will fight, often standing on their hind legs to "box" one another and try to break their opponent's tusks. In the early part of the year, baby babirusas are born. The babies will nurse for six to eight months but also start to become more active and will start to forage with the group and eat solid food within three to 10 days.
Dinner, Babirusa Style
Because of their tusks, babirusas do not root under the dirt for food like other pigs. They eat fruits and nuts. Their primary source of meat is insects and larvae. They also eat mangos, mushrooms and leaves. They are also different from other pigs, because they have stomachs similar to sheep. The stomach has two sacs that help digest fibrous plant material more readily.
Pigs in Peril
Babirusas are only native to a few islands in Indonesia, including Sulawesi.
They prefer to live in moist forests along rivers, the same areas
that people prefer. Their habitat is rapidly disappearing to logging
and expanding human populations. Another problem for the critically
endangered babirusas is, they are pigs - which means they taste good
and are easy to hunt.
Even though babirusas have been protected in their native Indonesia since 1931, their forest homes have not. Recently, the Indonesian government has started to protect the forest homes of the babirusas and other wildlife.
Portland's
Pigs
Oregon Zoo's Babirusa pigs are brothers and named after
popular cartoon
characters.
Itchy: Born June 6, 2006 | Weighs 40 lbs.
Scratchy: Born June 6, 2006 | Weighs 35 lbs.
Pig Particulars
Scientific Name: Babyrousa Babyrussa
Range: The Sulawesi, Togian Sula and Buru islands in Indonesia
Habitat: Forests and canebrakes near rivers and lakes
Conservation Status: Endangered
Oregon Zoo Exhibit: Island Pigs of Asia
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