Pig

Guide Note:Pig is a hoofed animal known as an unglate. The pig is also known as a hog or swine and their closest relatives are the peccaries, found in southwest North America, Central America and South America The pig is native of Eurasia and is a member of the Suidae family. Pigs have a snout for a nose, small tails and eyes with short legs, thick torsos and coarse, prickly hair. Their diet consists of almost anything they can find, as they are scavengers and Omnivore omnivorous. Sometimes while in captivity a pig will eat their young when under great deal of stress. The domestication of pigs started in the Old World approximately five to seven thousand years ago and are usually domesticated for sources of food and leather. The pig is seen in several religions. In Hinduism the god Vishnu took the form of a boar to save the earth from a demon. One practicing

Judaism is forbidden to eat pork because it is seen as an unclean animal. The pig is associated with St. Anthony in Catholicism. The pig has shown up in astrology as well appearing on the Chinese calendar as one of the 12-year cycle of animals. Pigs carry an array of parasites and diseases which can be passed to humans such as trichinosis, cysticercosis and brucellosis. Because of the parasites and diseases pork must be cured or well cooked before consuming. Although a domestic pig can be trained to be a pet, they have been known to aggressive and attack, sometimes killing people. Wild boars were introduced as prey for hunting and have contributed to huge populations of pigs in areas where they are not native such as Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii.

Fast Facts:

1. Kingdom: Animalia
2. Order: Artiodactyla
3. Family: Suidae
4. Diet: Omnivore
5. Weight: 120 to 150 lbs (pot belly)
6. Lifespan: 12 to 15 years (pot belly)
7. Height: 16 to 24 inches (pot belly)
8. Types: razorback, wild boar, pot-bellied, domestic pig
9. Number of Teeth: 44
10. Litter Size: 6 to 12