These are mammals mostly known to be grazers feeding on grasses, berries, barks of trees and also roots. They occasionally feed on dead flesh whenever there’s no food to eat. They have bumps on the head which is a thick patch of skin used for protection during fights. They have a thick mane on their back. They often look for already abandoned dens to make homes. Mostly they live in dens made by aardvarks. Warthogs can go for months without drinking water.
Female warthogs are social animals and they live in groups of about 40 members. They group each other and crowd together at night for warmth. On the other hand, adult males are not social and can be territorial. They search for food during the day. When threatened, the warthog can be quite fast at a speed of about 30 miles per hour. They ran with their tail up in the air heading direct into their dens sticking their tusks at the entrance for security. At times they face the attacker with their tusks and bite them with their sharp teeth.
The ox peckers and other birds ride on warthog’s body to eat insects off their bodies. Warthogs wallow in mud to get rid of insects and cool down on a hot day since they don’t have sweat glands to cool themselves. They kneel on front knees to feed since they have short neck and long legs.
Warthog -Kenya -By Bison Safaris
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