Palawan bearded pig facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palawan bearded pig |
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Sus
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ahoenobarbus
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The Palawan bearded pig (Sus ahoenobarbus) is a special kind of pig. It lives only on some islands in the Philippines. These islands are Balabac, Palawan, and the Calamian Islands. This pig can grow quite big! It can be about 1 to 1.6 meters (3 to 5 feet) long. It stands about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. It can weigh up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds).
What is a Palawan Bearded Pig?
For a long time, scientists thought the Palawan bearded pig was a type of Bornean bearded pig. A subspecies is a group of animals within a species. They are a bit different but can still breed together.
However, new studies show it is its own unique species. This means it is different enough to be a separate kind of animal. Scientists are still studying it. But most agree it should be called a full species now.
Ancient History of the Palawan Pig
Scientists have found fossils of the Palawan bearded pig. These fossils were found in Palawan. They also found fossils of other animals. These included deer, Philippine long-tailed macaques, and even Bornean tigers. Small mammals, lizards, snakes, and turtles were found too.
Along with the animal bones, stone tools were discovered. There were also signs of cuts on the bones. This shows that early humans lived there. They likely hunted these animals for food. They also used fire.
Scientists think that Borneo might have been connected to Palawan long ago. This was during past glacial periods. This connection would have allowed animals to move between the islands.
Scientists compared the bones of these ancient pigs. They looked at them next to wild boars (Sus scrofa). They also compared them to today's Palawan wild boar (Sus ahoenobarbus). We know that wild boars were brought to the islands. This happened later, from mainland Southeast Asia.
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