The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is home to over 10,000 animals representing 600 species. Guests navigating through the Zoo may notice animals with similarities, such as warthogs and red river hogs. Can you tell these species of pig apart?
 

Differences

The first difference between these species is that warthogs are born with tusks and warts. (This means you can tell if a piglet is a male or female as soon as they are born, and the males have an extra set of warts on their face.) The “warts” aren’t actually warts, but thick pads that help protect their eyes while digging for food. A male warthog will use his warts to protect his face when battling other males for a female’s attention.

Warthogs are covered in short bristle hairs with a long mane on their back, which can help protect them from bugs, while red river hogs have bright red hair covering their entire body. At birth, red river hogs have yellowish stripes on their body that provide a form of camouflage in the dense rainforests where they live. Warthog piglets, however, look exactly like their adult counterparts and can be hidden in burrows and tall grasses.

Warthogs and red river hogs are very vocal and use grunts and snorts to communicate. Red river hogs use their ears as a communication tool, and warthogs use their tails as a location device for other members of their sounder (or group) if there is a predator nearby and they aren’t able to use vocalizations.

Similarities

Similarities between the red river hog and warthog is that both species love wallowing, which acts as a natural bug repellent (red river hogs wallow in rivers, and warthogs wallow in mud). Wallowing helps cool the pigs down, and for the warthogs that spend time in the open sun, the mud also acts as a sunscreen.

Red river hogs and warthogs will use their nose and tusks to root in the ground to find food. Both species also like sleeping in burrows–underground for the warthog and thick vegetation for the red river hog. Warthogs are typically more active during the day, while red river hogs are nocturnal.

In terms of size, the warthog is a lot larger than the red river hog. While red river hogs and warthogs have tusks and warts, the warthogs are much more noticeable. During your next Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, be sure to look out for the red river hogs and warthogs to see if you can spot any other similarities or differences between these unique species.