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More About Pigs ...
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The domestic pig is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa, though some authors call it S. domesticus, reserving S. scrofa for the wild boar. It has been a domesticated animal for approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years. The animal is found across Europe, the Middle East and extends into Asia as far as Indonesia and Japan. The distinction between wild and domestic animals is slight, and domestic pigs have become feral in many parts of the world (for example, New Zealand); feral pigs can cause substantial environmental damage. The family Suidae also includes about 12 separate species of wild pig, most also classified in the genus Sus.
Pigs are intelligent animals, and some are kept as pets. Pigs are reportedly more intelligent and more trainable than dogs and cats. Pigs were brought to southeastern North America from Europe by De Soto and other early Spanish explorers, where escapees became feral and became freely used by Native Americans as food.
Sus scrofa has four subspecies, each occupying distinct geographical areas. They are Sus scrofa scrofa (western Africa, Europe), Sus scrofa ussuricus (northern Asia and Japan), Sus scrofa cristatus (Asia Minor, India), and Sus scrofa vittatus (Indonesia).
Many different words in English identify different types of pig:
adult male pigs are called boars
adult females are called sows
juvenile animals are called piglets and farrows
young pigs between 100-180 pounds (50 to 90 kg) are called shoats
a gilt is an immature female pig
a barrow is a castrated male pig
hog is used as a synonym of pig in the United States; in its original sense it means a castrated boar.
swine is a plural noun meaning pigs
Pigs (or swine) that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. A litter of piglets typically contains between 10 and 12 animals. Meat from pigs is called pork in general and ham, bacon or bologna in some cases. Their trotters are often sold as the jelly-like dish of pig's feet. Hog jowls are a popular soul food. The American pig-raising industry calls pork a white meat, as opposed to beef; "white meat" (such as poultry) is often considered healthier than "red meat." Both Islam and Orthodox Judaism forbid the eating of pork in any form, considering the animal to be unclean: no form of pig meat can be kosher or halal.
While pigs are raised mostly for meat, their skin is used as a source of leather. Their bristly hairs are also traditionally used for brushes.
Pigs, like humans, are omnivores, making them easy to raise: on a small farm or in a large household they can be fed kitchen scraps as part or all of their diet.
Pigs are the only mammal not to have sweat glands. Thus they must have access to water or mud to cool themselves during hot weather.
ancient Greece, a sow was an appropriate sacrifice to Demeter and had been her favorite animal since she had been the Great Goddess of archaic times. Initiates at the Eleusinian mysteries began by sacrificing a pig.
The pig is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. Believers in Chinese astrology associate each animal with certain personality traits. See: Pig (Zodiac).
Zhu Bajie is a famous literary character from the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
Pigs are commonly associated with greed and with dirt; the latter probably comes from their habit of wallowing in mud.
Pigs are not as dirty as people believe them to be. They are in fact very clean animals and the only reason people picture them in mud and covered in dirt is because they do not sweat. Rolling in the mud is their way of regulating their body temperature and keeping themselves cool in warmer temperatures.
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Taxonmony
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Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
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Source: Wikipedia Read more about Pigs
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INFO LINKS
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Pig
The Living Schoolbook - The Cyberzoo project
Collared Peccary Read More
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Pig
The Living Schoolbook - The Cyberzoo project
Wild Boar Read More
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Boar
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
Boar Read More
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Wild Pig
Animal Tracks of Humboldt County
Natural History of Wild Pig, Identifying Wild Pig tracks. Read More
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Pot-Bellied Pig
Honolulu Zoo
Pot-Bellied Pig Read More
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Wart Hog
Honolulu Zoo
Wart Hog Read More
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Warthog
Kenya Beasts
Pictures of Warthog Read More
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Warthog
SafariCamLive.com - African Wildlife to the World
Warthog Read More
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Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig
Sedgwick County Zoo
Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig fact sheet Read More
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Pig
University of California, Irvine
"The words "swine," "hogs," and "pigs" refer to animals of the porcine family or pig family" Good site for school work. Response to FAQs Read More
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Warthog
National Geographic
Warthog fact sheet and pictures; video clip Read More
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Warthog
National Geographic - Creature Feature Archive
"With four tusks and large shovel-shaped heads, warthogs look fierce". Very interesting narrative! Read More
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Guinea Hog
Sedgwick County Zoo
Brief Information
"these hogs were favorites of homesteaders in the American South". Read More
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Warthog
Sedgwick County Zoo
Information on physical characterestic, diet, behavior, etc. Found in"Africa, south of the Sahara". Read More
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Babirusa
PBS
About Babirousa. "The babirusa is one cool pig! They are great runners and swimmers, and wallow in mud throughout the day"
Kid friendly site Read More
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Bush Pig
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links
"They live in packs which helps them to fight off predators" Read More
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Javelina
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Narrative on Javelina; includes habitat, food, and behavioral information. "Javelinas have large heads with round, flattened pig-like snouts, long, slender legs, and a salt and pepper color coat". Read More
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Warthog
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Narrative on Warthog; includes habitat, food, and behavioral information Read More
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Pig
PIGS
Where a Pig Can Be a Pig
BREAKING NEWS: FLORIDA PIGS ARRIVE!
FOUNDED IN 1992, PIGS, A SANCTUARY is a place of refuge for abused, abandoned, neglected and unwanted animals. We specialize in the care of potbellied pigs and farm pigs" Read More
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Pig
PBS
Links to interesting articles. Good site for kids, Information Pigs as pet, as resouces, etc. Read More
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Warthog
African Wildlife Foundation
Detailed fact sheet Read More
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Collared Peccary
National Zoo
Collared Peccary fact sheet Read More
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Tamworth Pig
Sedgwick County Zoo
"The Tamworth is a direct descendant of the native European stock which descended from wild boars". Read More
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Red River Hog
Bronx Zoo - Congo Gorilla Forest
Quick Facts "The animal's red coat is long and bristly" Read More
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Javelina
Blue Planet Biomes
Brief description of Javelina with additional references Read More
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Peccary
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links. "There are 3 species of peccaries. The collared, the white-lipped, and the chacoan". Read More
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Javelina
Desert USA
"Collared Peccary is the only wild, native, pig-like animal found in the United States.
". Brief description and pictures Read More
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Pig
Pigsinthenews.com
Links to bizarre articles in the news Read More
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Pig
Pigs As Pets Association
Links that are informative and eductional about having pigs as pets Read More
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Babirusa
Houston Zoo
About Babirusa Read More
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Guinea Hog
Houston Zoo
About Guinea Hog Read More
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