Philippine Native Pig

Facts about Philippine Native Pigs. The Philippine Native is a wild pig breed that is native to the Philippines. Being a native to the Philippines, the "Philippine Native Pig" breeds occurs as two presently recognized subspecies, such as Sus philippensis philippinesis and Sus philippensis mindanensis. The Sus philippensis philippinesis can be largely seen on the northern islands of Polillo, Luzon, Marinduque and Catanduanes, whereas the Sus philippensis mindanensis pigs are largely found on the east-central islands of Bohol, Biliran, Samar, Leyte, and on the southern islands of Mindanao, Camiguin Sul, and Basilan. The Philippine Native Pig breed is used to develop other pig breeds, such as Berkjala, Kaman, Diani, Libtong, and Koronadel. Currently, the Philippine Native pig breed is considered extinct. Philippine Native Pigs are omnivores like humans, an omnivores, (definition-they eat both other animals and plants).

Features of Philippine Native Pig

Usually, the male Philippine Native pig has a longer body and tail than their female counterparts, with the body length, ranging from 49 5/8 inches to 51 5/8 inches (127 cm to 129 cm), with the tail length between 5 7/32 inches and 5 5/8 inches (13 cm and 14 cm). The female pigs will have a body length between 49 5/8 inches and 50 inches (124 cm and 125 cm), with the tail length, ranging from 4 13/32 inches to 4 13/16 inches (11 cm to 12 cm).

The Philippine Native pig has a well-built body, with a coarse, thick, black color coat with a dispersion of silvery white color hairs on their sides. Elongated, firm hairs form a top, running down the central point of the back, which is chiefly noticeable in male pigs during their breeding season when it forms a famous mane over their neck and head crest. The average-length tail has a bunch of elongated, black color hairs at the tail tip, which is used to drive away the flies and to indicate their mood.

The Philippine Native pig breed is either totally black or a black color body with a white color belly. The Philippine Native Pig breed has an elongated snout, terminating in an even, movable disc with the nostrils in the middle. The teeth of the Philippine Native Pig breeds are well-developed, with the huge lower and upper canines, structuring laterally and upwardly projecting tusks in the male pigs. The Philippine Native Pig breed has fairly small ears and eyes.

Diet of Philippine Native Pigs

As the Philippine Native pig is a wild pig, it will mostly feed on the leaves, roots, and tubers of grasses and other vegetation, by making use of their movable snouts to dig the ground for their food. The Philippine Native Pigs snout is used for their excellent sense of smell and they have poor eyesight.

Behavior of Philippine Native Pigs

The Philippine Native pig breed is extremely prolific, and they could show the signals of sexual maturity as immature as four to five months. The Philippine Native Pig breeds have a low nourish conversion ratio. The juvenile pigs are capable of attaining a weight of 132 lbs (60 kg) within six to eight months after their birth.

The Philippine Native pigs may be found alone, or in pairs at the time of the breeding season, or they can be found in groups, containing 7 to 12 pigs, which consists of a male pig, several female pigs and juvenile pigs. Even though the Philippine Native Pigs are most active during the night, they may also move during the daytime.
Female Philippine Native pigs create nests in which to provide birth, located in carefully chosen, hidden areas, like between the supports of huge trees, bordered by thick bushes. The average litter size is four to five piglets, but as several as eight piglets may also be born in one litter. The sows nurse their piglets for about three to five weeks. When Piglets are weaned off of their mother’s milk, they are not called piglets but are known as shoats. Piglets at birth weigh about 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms), and on average, will double their weight in one week. Normally, these wild pigs are shy and reserved, but they can be hazardous when cornered and will strongly protect themselves in such a condition. In particular, female pigs can be highly self-protective when protecting their juvenile, and will assault prospective predators, as well as people.

The saliva of Philippine Native Pigs contains pheromones-( A chemical substance used to attract a mate) similar to that of other pig breeds that communicate their sexual wants. The male Philippine Native Pigs discharge this steroid and female pigs will go to vast lengths to acquire a smell of the sent.
"A wild male pig is called a boar"- meaning uncastrated male pig, that lives in the wild and can be hunted. "Feral pig or hog is defined as a wild boar" can be a very big danger where humans habitat.

Philippine Native Pigs have small lungs compared to their body size.

The term Swine: is any variety of omnivorous, even-toed ungulates of the family Suidae, this includes hogs, boars and pigs having a short neck, thick skin a movable snout and a stout body.

Philippine Native Pigs unlike is said, happen to be very clean animals. Philippine Native Pigs make sure their bathroom area is far away from where they eat, lie down and rest, even piglets (baby pigs) will find a place to go to the bathroom, far away from their nest.

Philippine Native Pigs have 44 teeth when full grown, when they are baby pigs (piglets) the have 28 teeth which will fall out when they are 12 months old. Just like human teeth, the Philippine Native Pig has an enamel coating that makes the pigs teeth stronger and helps it curb disease. Philippine Native Pigs chew their food because pigs have a digestive system similar to a human digestive system and cannot digest food that is not chewed.

A female adult pig is called a (sow) and the male adult wild pig is called a (boar). The lifespan of a Philippine Native Pig is between 9 and 15 years

Philippine Native Pigs do not sweat a lot, that's why they cover themselves in the mud to keep their bodies cool. The expression "sweating like a pig" comes from a reference to pig iron, which comes form iron smelting.

Philippine Native Pigs are very intelligent, not like people think, that pigs are dumb animals. A Philippine Native Pig can drink between 10 to 14 gallons (37.8 to 53 liters)of water in a day.

Philippine Native Pigs Feet

The four feet and four toes of the pig are called "trotters" that humans eat as a delicacy called pigs feet or pigs knuckles. A Philippine Native Pigs foot has four toes that are pointed downwards when the pig walks, it walks on the tips of its toes, rather than its whole foot and only uses two of the toes in the middle and the outside toes for balance. The Philippine Native Pig has tougher feet at the ends that are hooves. The two toes in the middle of the foot are slightly webbed, this helps the pigs balance for walking. "Scientific name for Pig Sus scrofa", the wild swine (Boar) from the old world with a narrow body and prominent tusks is from where most domestic swine come from. The "fear of pigs Swinophobia".