warthog (redirected from Phacochoerus africanus)

warthog

Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus)

(credit: Karl H. Maslowski)

Large-headed species (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) of pig (ungulate family Suidae), inhabiting open and lightly forested areas of Africa. Warthogs, about 30 in. (76 cm) high, are blackish or brown, with a coarse mane from the neck to the midback. The male has two pairs of bumps (warts) on the face. Both sexes have tusks. The tusks on the lower jaw are weapons; those on the upper jaw curve upward and inward in a semicircle, growing to more than 24 in. (60 cm) in some males. The long tufted tail is held high when the animal runs. Warthogs live in groups, feeding on grass and other vegetation.

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warthog

a wild pig, Phacochoerus aethiopicus, of southern and E Africa, having heavy tusks, wartlike protuberances on the face, and a mane of coarse hair