Bornean bearded pig

The Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus), also known ambiguously as the bearded pig, is a species in the pig genus, Sus.[2]

Bornean bearded pig
Bearded pig at Bako National Park, Borneo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Sus
Species:
S. barbatus
Binomial name
Sus barbatus
Müller, 1838
Subspecies

Sus barbatus oi
Sus barbatus barbatus

It can be recognized by its prominent beard. It also sometimes has tassels on its tail. It is found in Southeast Asia—Sumatra, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and various smaller islands like in Sulu archipelago such as Tawi-Tawi, where it inhabits rainforests and mangrove forests. The bearded pig lives in a family. It can reproduce from the age of 18 months, and can be cross-bred with other species in the family Suidae.

Subspecies
Skull

The two subspecies of this pig are:[2]

  • S. b. barbatus (the nominate subspecies)
  • S. b. oi (the western bearded pig)

As traditionally defined, the nominate is from Borneo. The species is widely ranging in Borneo. It is also found in Tawi-Tawi province at the tip of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, although possibly has been extirpated,[3] and S. b. oi is from the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Genetic evidence suggests this is incorrect, and S. b. oi is better limited to Sumatra, leaving bearded pigs from both Borneo and the Malay Peninsula in the nominate subspecies.[4] Those from Bangka Island appear somewhat intermediate between the two subspecies.[4]

The Palawan bearded pig (Sus ahoenobarbus) has formerly been considered a subspecies of the bearded pig. However, as indicated by its genetic and morphological distinctness, under the phylogenetic species concept (which does not use subspecies) it needs to be elevated to full species status; while the situation is less clear under other species concepts (as not all S. barbatus populations have been restudied in modern times), the presently available information seems to favor full species status for S. ahoenobarbus in any case.[4]

In captivity

The San Diego Zoo was the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere to breed them.[5]

As of January 2016, it is held in the London Zoo, Berlin Zoo, Gladys Porter Zoo, National Zoo of Malaysia (Zoo Negara), Zoo Taiping, Singapore Zoo, Capital of Texas Zoo, and Southwick's Zoo.[6] The animals at Hellabrunn Zoo were euthanized in 2017 because of old age,[7] and there is only one male left at Berlin Zoo, Three individuals (one castrated male and two females) left at London Zoo[8] and one individual left at Gladys Porter Zoo[9] and the individuals were replaced by red river hogs in Southwick's Zoo as of 2017, which means that the species will likely disappear soon from European and American zoos.

See also

References
  1. Kawanishi, K.; Gumal, M. & Oliver, W. (2008). "Sus barbatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2009.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of vulnerable.
  2. Grubb, P. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. "Sus barbatus (Bearded Pig, Western Bearded Pig)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
  4. Lucchini, Meijaard, Diong, Groves and Randi (2005). New phylogenetic perspectives among species of South-east Asian wild pig (Sus sp.) based on mtDNA sequences and morphometric data. J. Zool., Lond. 266: 25–35
  5. "San Diego Zoo Website". Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  6. ISIS (2011). Sus barbatus. Version 12 January 2011
  7. "ZooChat". Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  8. "Zootierliste Homepage". Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  9. "ZooChat Gallery, Last Bornean Bearded Pig in AZA". Retrieved 27 February 2018.


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