Feral+Hogs

== Feral Hogs What are Feral Hogs? Feral Hogs are a invasive specie and it is different sizes and it looks like a pig with big teeth.The pig is native to Europe and Asia, although it has spread with humans to every continent except Antarctica.The Wild pigs have one of the widest distributions of all land mammals.Female feral pigs and their piglets live in family groups, which are generally composed of around 6 individuals. These groups sometimes band together to form sounders, or massive groups of between 50 and 100 pigs.Pigs are prolific breeders. They breed year-long in tropical regions, like humans. Females may reach sexual maturity as young as six months of age, and may produce two or more litters of 4-12 piglets every year.In the wild, hogs have tusks that typically grow from 3-5 inches in length, although some can grow as large as nine inches in length. Outside of their native habitat, pigs are one of the most destructive invasive species on the planet. Their rooting decimates endemic undergrowth and trees where they have been introduced. They also compete with local species and their wallows lower water quality.Because of similar body and organ sizes, pigs have been used for heart valve transplants in humans. These wild pigs can reach impressive sizes, with body lengths ranging from 3.6 feet to 4.9 feet and heights of up to 3 feet at the shoulders. They can also reach weights often up to 400 pounds. == **How did they get here? Wild Pigs were first introduced in the 1500’s to what is now the southeastern U.S. by Spanish Explorer, Hernando DeSoto** .  **In the centuries following European exploration and colonization of the eastern U.S., free-range livestock management practices and escapes from enclosures resulted in the establishment of wild pig populations and promoted their spread** .

By: David Zhuravlev & Joseph Babak