Wild Hogs

of the country at present (Mayer and Br i sb in 1991). In this chapter, these different types of wild hogs will be treated together unless otherwise noted. coarse bristles. These anim a l s h a v e e l o n g a t e d heads and snouts ending in a disc-like pad through which the external nares open. The only other species in the southern United States that resembles the wild hog is the collared peccary or javelina, found in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Two primary types of wild hogs, Eurasian wild boar and feral swine (wild hogs solely of domestic ancestry), have been established in the southern United States. These 2 types are conspecifics and will readily hybridize (Wood and Barrett 1979, Mayer and Brisbin 1991). At present, there are only populations of feral swine and wild boar x feral swine hybrids found in the South. No pure populations of Eurasian wild boar are known or have been documented to exist in this region Feral hogs resemble domestic hogs, but usually are leaner, and generations in the wild have honed adaptations for life in the wild. Eurasian wild boar, also known as European wild hogs or Russian boars, are about the same size as feral hogs, but have a grizzled, sleeker appearance, with light tipped hair, and longer legs and snout. Specifically, there are both physical and molecular differences among the 3 types of wild hogs. Of these, the morphological differences are the most useful in differentiation. Variation in coloration patterns, cranial differences, and snout and hind foot length have been used to tell the different types of wild hogs apart with a far degree of accuracy. In addition, mitochondrial DNA techniques are beginning to show promise in identifications (Mayer and Brisbin 1993). In contrast to