warthog

A type of wild boar that lives in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species of warthogs were formerly considered conspecific under the scientific name Phacochoerus aethiopicus, but today this is limited to the desert warthog.

• Common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). The best-known, most widespread species. Widespread in the savannah of Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia down to South Africa, absent from heavily forested or desert areas.
• Desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus). Its distribution ranges from Northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.

Warthogs are seen covered in earthy brown bristly hairs, their bodies and heads appear largely naked from a distance, with only the crest along the back, and the tufts on their cheeks and tails being obviously haired. The term warthog refers to their facial wattles, which are particularly distinct in males. They also have very distinct tusks, which reach a length of 25 to 64 centimetres in the males, but are always smaller in the females. Warthogs are omnivorous, with most of their diet consist of plant materials and occasionally eat small animals.

• Pumbaa, the main character of The Lion King is a warthog.
• Hoglin, a large hostile mob in Minecraft that spawns in the Nether dimension strongly resembles the warthog.