The Bornean bearded pig (''Sus barbatus''), also known as the Sunda bearded pig or simply bearded pig, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
in the pig genus, ''
Sus''.
It can be recognized by its prominent beard. It also sometimes has tassels on its tail. It is found in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
—
Sumatra,
Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...
, the
Malay Peninsula, and various smaller islands like in
Sulu archipelago such as
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( tl, Lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi; Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim ...
, where it inhabits
rainforests and
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...
forests. The bearded pig lives in a family. It can reproduce from the age of 18 months, and can be
cross-bred
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...
with other species in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Suidae.
Subspecies
The two
subspecies of this pig are:
[
*''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,][ 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.][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] Those from Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is administered under the province of the Bangka Belitung Islands, being one of its namesakes alongside the smaller island of Belitung across the Gaspar Strait. The 9th largest island in ...
appear somewhat intermediate between the two subspecies.[
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 concept
The species problem is the set of questions that arises when biologists attempt to define what a species is. Such a definition is called a species concept; there are at least 26 recognized species concepts. A species concept that works well for se ...
s (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.[
]
In captivity
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a p ...
was the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...
to breed them.
As of January 2016, it was held in the London Zoo, Berlin Zoo, Gladys Porter Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas, United States. The zoo officially opened on September 3, 1971, and currently averages over 424,000 visitors annually. Situated on , the zoo houses about 400 anim ...
, National Zoo of Malaysia
The National Zoo ( ms, Zoo Negara) is a zoo in Malaysia located on of land in Ulu Klang,Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It was officially opened on November 14, 1963 by the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. The zoo is mana ...
(Zoo Negara), Zoo Taiping, Night Safari, and Southwick's Zoo. The animals at Hellabrunn Zoo were euthanized in 2017 because of old age, and there is only one male left at the Berlin Zoo. Three individuals (one castrated male and two females) left at London Zoo and one individual left at Gladys Porter Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas, United States. The zoo officially opened on September 3, 1971, and currently averages over 424,000 visitors annually. Situated on , the zoo houses about 400 anim ...
and the individuals were replaced by red river hog
The red river hog (''Potamochoerus porcus'') or bushpig (a named also used for the ''Potamochoerus larvatus''), is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests. It is rarely ...
s in Southwick's Zoo as of 2017, which means that the species will likely disappear soon from European and American zoos.
File:Bartschwein Sus barbatus Tierpark Hellabrunn-6.jpg, At the Hellabrunn Zoo
Hellabrunn Zoo (or Tierpark Hellabrunn in German) is a 40 hectare (99 acre) zoological garden in the Bavarian capital of Munich. The zoo is situated on the right bank of the river Isar, in the southern part of Munich near the quarter of Thalkirc ...
in Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
File:Wild Boar at San Diego Zoo.jpg, At the San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a p ...
, the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
of America
File:Bearded Pigs2.jpg, Bearded pigs at Philadelphia zoo
References
External links
*
*
* Groves, C. P. (1997). "Taxonomy of wild pigs (Sus) of the Philippines". ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'', 120: 163–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1997.tb01277.
Abstract
(full article requires subscription access)
*
' by Nicole Knibbe in University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
Museum of Zoology
Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Status Survey and Action Plan (1993)
Chapter 5.5 by Julian O. Caldecott, Raleigh A. Blouch and Alastair A. Macdonald.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q809606
Sus (genus)
Mammals described in 1838
Mammals of Borneo
Mammals of Brunei
Mammals of Indonesia
Mammals of Malaysia
Mammals of the Philippines
Taxa named by Salomon Müller