DIET AND PREDATORS
This is a maternal group with a young litter. The piglets had the lengthwise stripes that are associated with boars, both wild and domestic, of Eurasian origins, but they have now outgrown them.
It would be shorter to list what hogs do not eat than what they do eat. They are omnivores (eating both plants and animals) and opportunists, and will eat virtually every plant or animal available. They are not generally thought of as predators, but they are. They are drawn to birthing areas by their acute sense of smell, and will eat the newborn and placenta so there is no trace left. Ranchers cannot tell whether they lost newborn stock or never had it.

They prey on reptiles (including rattlesnakes), amphibians, birds and their eggs, insects, worms, and any smaller mammal, dead or alive, that makes itself available. Carrion is eaten with relish, and hogs are known to eat manure.

Favored vegetation is acorns, any fruits, seeds or nuts, mushrooms, roots, bark, and although they are not grazers, they will eat some grasses. They compete with whitetail deer (Who also are not grazers; they are browsers.) to the detriment of the whitetails.

Predators of the grown hogs are humans, bears, packs of wolves or dogs and panthers. The shoats and pigs can be taken by dogs, coyote, bobcats, other medium sized carnivores like racoons, and the larger raptors such as owls and eagles. True to the hog's ruthless nature, shoats and pigs are commonly cannibalized by larger hogs.

When we think of predators, we usually first think of carnivores like the cougar or coyote. Hogs though are opportunistic omnivores, and predation is just one of the many skills they use to get a meal.


Both wild boar and coyotes are intelligent and are quick studies when it comes to exploiting another animal's weakness.

Coyotes will compete with hogs for wounded or baby animals, and if the hunting is poor, for carrion.
HISTORY
APPEARANCE
BOARS & WATER
BODY LANGUAGE
FIGHTS
BREEDING
HOG SIGN

HOG TRACKS
DIET AND PREDATORS
US DISTRIBUTION
FL HUNTING REGS
HOG TERMS
BACK TO WILD BOARS
ANIMALS

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