RANGE Africa, south of the Sahara to northern South Africa
HABITAT Rainforest, forest and savanna woodland
DIET Omnivores; will eat just about anything including tubers, roots, insects, worms, grass, berries, small mammals, and carrion
Red river hogs use their snout like a plow to dig up roots and find food. Their upper tusks are relatively small and almost invisible, while the lower ones are razor sharp and grow 3 inches long.
They are good swimmers, holding their tails above the water.
Red river hogs live in social groups called sounders. Males are called boars and females are called sows.
Young are striped pale yellow and dark brown. At 3 months, the stripes fade to a rufous coat with a black and white dorsal crest.
Due in part to a human-caused reduction of one of their natural predators, the leopard, the red river hog is faring pretty well.
However, it is hunted as an agricultural pest and for the commercial bushmeat trade.
