Pigs are one of the smartest of domesticated animals. They keep themselves clean, contrary to popular belief. They sometimes will roll around in the mud to keep cool, however. About 840 million pigs are alive today. The most pigs are in China, with 40 percent of pigs in the world. Pigs are mostly fed corn. Pigs are strong and stout. They have coarse hair that is sometimes used in brushes and in stuffing mattresses and baseball gloves. They have poor sight but a great sense of smell, that helps them to be the world’s greatest truffle locators. Truffles are expensive mushrooms that grow underground. Pigs have cute short tails that are curly on many breeds.

Pigs weigh about 2 1/2 pounds at birth. The average adult boar weighs 350 to 500 pounds and an adult sow weighs 300 to 450 pounds. Most pigs are sold at seven months. Pigs that are kept longer are usually breeding pigs.

Pigs have either 34 or 44 teeth which sometimes grow into large tusks that can be cut off. Most pigs will run from danger and would only charge if cornered. A pig’s foot has four toes which end in hoofs. The middle hoofs are almost always divided. The other two toes do not touch the ground while the pig is standing. Sows can give birth beginning at 8 months to usually 8-12 piglets. They can live for 15 years.


Pigs belong to the pig family, Suidae. The European wild hog is an Sus scrofa. This is from which modern pigs are descended. Suidae belong to the Artiodactyl family, a subgroup of the Ungulates. Ungulates are hoofed, mostly herbivorous mammals. Artiodactyls are all even-toed.

Information from the World Book Encyclopedia, 1994. "Hog"