Overview
With its tail held upright like a flag, a common warthog trots across the savannah with surprising speed and purpose. Its oversized head, curved tusks and sparse coat may appear ungainly, but every feature is well suited to life in Tanzania’s open grasslands and woodland edges.
The paired swellings on the face give the warthog its name. These are not true warts but thick pads of skin and connective tissue that help protect the face, particularly when males clash during disputes.
Common warthogs feed mainly on grass, often kneeling on their calloused front wrists to graze close to the ground. During dry periods, they use the hardened edge of the snout and their tusks to uncover roots, bulbs and rhizomes. They may occasionally eat insects, eggs or carrion, but plant material forms the overwhelming majority of their diet.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a sturdy, long-legged pig with a large flattened head, upward-curving tusks and a coarse mane running from the crown along the neck and back. The body is sparsely covered with grey-brown hair, while the tail ends in a dark tuft.
Both sexes have tusks, but those of adult males are generally much larger and more strongly curved. Males also have more prominent facial pads, which provide protection during head-to-head contests.
Females and their young usually live in family groups known as sounders. Adult males are more often solitary or form temporary bachelor associations outside the breeding season.
Common warthogs shelter in burrows, frequently taking over holes excavated by aardvarks. They usually reverse into the entrance so that the head and tusks face outwards, leaving them better positioned to defend themselves or charge past a threat.
When alarmed, they normally flee with the tail held vertically. The raised tail is especially visible in long grass and may help young animals keep track of the group.
Interesting facts
They often graze while kneeling. Thickened pads on the front wrists protect the legs as the warthog lowers itself to reach short grass.
Their upright tails act like visual signals. A fleeing warthog’s raised tail remains visible above the vegetation and may help other group members follow.
They enter burrows backwards. Reversing inside allows the warthog to face the entrance with its tusks ready if a predator approaches.