The Red River Hog (Potamochoerus porcus) is a strikingly colored member of the pig family known for its vibrant appearance. Its range covers a wide swath of the African continent.
Identifying the Red River Hog
The Red River Hog has a prominent, shaggy coat ranging from bright russet orange to reddish-brown. A thin white mane runs along the spine, standing erect when the animal is excited or threatened. The species is distinguished by a bold facial mask, featuring white markings around the eyes, cheeks, and jaw that contrast sharply with the black muzzle. Both sexes possess small, sharp tusks, though males have bony protuberances, or warts, above their eyes. The Red River Hog is the smallest of the African pigs, typically reaching a body length of 100 to 152 centimeters and a shoulder height between 56 and 79 centimeters.
Geographic Distribution and Habitat
The Red River Hog’s distribution is concentrated across West and Central Africa, spanning a wide, though sometimes patchy, territory. Its range extends from Senegal and Guinea-Bissau eastward through the Congo basin, including countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The species’ northern limit generally reaches the Sudanian transitional region, while its southern boundary is the edge of the Congo Basin rainforest.
The species is highly adaptable but prefers moist, dense environments. They are rarely found far from dense tropical rainforests and adjacent areas of moist savanna. The hogs frequently inhabit gallery forests—wooded areas that follow rivers—as well as swamp margins and forested valleys. Proximity to water is a defining feature of their habitat, as they prefer to live near rivers, lakes, and marshes. Dense vegetative cover is also necessary, providing them with shelter and security. While they can occasionally be found in dry forests or cultivated areas, these zones are typically close to their primary rainforest habitat.
Life Within the Habitat
Within their preferred environment, Red River Hogs are primarily nocturnal, emerging at night to search for food. During the day, they shelter in self-excavated burrows or dense thickets of vegetation. Their powerful snouts are used like plows to root for food in the soil, utilizing their strong sense of smell to locate buried items.
The Red River Hog is an omnivore, feeding on a wide variety of items found within the forest. Their diet mainly consists of roots, tubers, and various fruits, but they also consume insects, bird eggs, small reptiles, and carrion. They are social animals that typically live in small family groups, known as sounders, usually consisting of three to six individuals. These sounders are composed of a dominant adult male, several adult females, and their young.
The hogs mark their territory using several methods, including scent glands located on their feet, neck, and near their eyes. They also utilize their tusks to scrape the bark off trees, leaving visible markers along frequently used paths. This marking behavior helps them maintain their social structure and defend their range from other groups.