Babirusa resemble the domestic pig, but are actually
thought to be related to the hippo.
Babirusa Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Babyrousa
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Babirusa in Foreign Languages:
Esperanto: babiruso, virbabiruso,
babirusino, babirusido, virbabirusido,
babirusidino
French: babiroussa
German: Hirscheber, Babirusa, ,
männlicher Hirscheber, weiblicher Hirscheber
Irish: babarúsa
Italian: babirussa
Malay: babi rusa
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Other Names: Wild East Indian Swine, Pig
Deer, Pig-Deer,
Conservation Status: Babirusa are protected
in Indonesia and poaching is illegal. Commercial
logging in the area threaten the babirusa by the
loss of habitat, exposing them to hunters.
Size: Babirusa have stout-bodies with short-tails
similar to that of a domesticated pig. The Babirusa
stands 25 to 30 inches at the shoulder. Babirusa's
bodies are 3.5 feet long and weigh up to 220 pounds.
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Babirusa
Conservation Status: Vulnerable or Endangered
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Habitat: Babirusa are native to Sulawesi, some
of the Togian Islands, the Sula Islands and Buru. The
preferred habitat of babirusa are tropical rainforests
along river banks
Description: Babirusa have a rough, gray hide
that is almost entirely hairless. Males Babirusa are
have four tusks, two of which come right out of the
animal's snout.
Behavior: During the day Babirusa will wallow
in mud at night they tend to forage for food.
Diet: Babirusa have an omnivorous diet
with an intestinal tract similar to that of the
domestic pig. The diet of the babirusa includes
leaves, roots, fruits, , nuts, insect larvae,
or sometimes even small animals and animal material.
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Did You Know?
Babirusas are fast runners and swims
readily.
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Gestation: Babirusa carry their young for 150
to 157 days.
Communication: Babirusa communicate with low
grunts or moans, and by clattering their teeth when
excited.
Birth: Babirusa give birth to litters of 1 to
3 babies. Baby Babirusa will nurse for 6 to 8 months.
Sexually Mature: Babirusa will sexually mature
between 1 to 2 years.
Life Span: Babirusa live up to 24 years.
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Did You Know?
The babirusa does not have many enemies,
namely only two wild dogs and humans.
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Social Structure: Male babirusa tend to live
solitarily while adult females can be found in groups
with young. Groups of female babirusa and young babirusa
in groups of up to 84 individuals.
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