WHEN IS A PIG A HOG?​

Pigs are amazing. Let’s start with all the different names for them. Very large pigs are usually called hogs. Male pigs are called boars. Female pigs that have given birth are called sows. Their babies are called piglets. That’s a lot of names for pigs!

Pigs come in many sizes, too. The biggest wild pig in the world is the giant forest hog. This pig can weigh almost 600 pounds. That’s a lot of pig! The giant forest hog is bristly and black. It has puffy cheeks and sharp tusks. It lives in the forests of Africa and enjoys eating grass.

The smallest wild pig is the size of a really big cat. This pig is called a pygmy “hog,” even though it is very small. It is only 10 inches tall and weighs about 15 pounds. Pygmy hogs live in grassy areas in India. They enjoy eating roots, bugs, and small reptiles. It would take about 40 pygmy hogs to equal one giant forest hog. Amazing!

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