Pig

For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation).
Shoat redirects here; for the sheep/goat hybrid, see geep.
Domesticated Pig
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Sow_with_piglet.jpg
Sow with piglet


Sow with piglet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Suidae
Genus:Sus
Species:S. domesticus
Binomial name
Sus scrofa
Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Sus domesticus

The domestic pig is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa, though some authors call it S. domesticus, reserving S. scrofa for the wild boar. It has been a domesticated animal for approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years. The animal is found across Europe, the Middle East and extends into Asia as far as Indonesia and Japan. The distinction between wild and domestic animals is slight, and domestic pigs have become feral in many parts of the world (for example, New Zealand). Feral pigs can cause substantial environmental damage. The family Suidae also includes about 12 separate species of wild pig, most also classified in the genus Sus.

Pigs are one of the most intelligent animals, and some are kept as pets. Pigs are reportedly more intelligent and more trainable than dogs and cats. Pigs were brought to southeastern North America from Europe by De Soto and other early Spanish explorers, where escapees became feral and became freely used by Native Americans as food.

Sus scrofa has four subspecies, each occupying distinct geographical areas. They are Sus scrofa scrofa (western Africa, Europe), Sus scrofa ussuricus (northern Asia and Japan), Sus scrofa cristatus (Asia Minor, India), and Sus scrofa vittatus (Indonesia).

Many different words in English identify different types of pigs:

Pigs (or swine) that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. A litter of piglets typically contains between 10 and 12 animals. Meat from pigs is called pork (coming from the Latin words "porcinus" and "porcus"). Their trotters are often sold as the jelly-like dish of pig's feet. Hog jowls are a popular soul food. The American pig-raising industry calls pork a "white meat" (like poultry) implying it is healthier than "red meat" like beef. Both Islam and Orthodox Judaism forbid the eating of pork in any form, considering it to be an unclean animal: no form of pig meat can be kosher or halal (see taboo meat).

While pigs are raised mostly for meat, their skin is used as a source of leather. Their bristly hairs are also traditionally used for brushes.

Pigs are omnivores, making them easy to raise: on a small farm or in a large household they can be fed kitchen scraps as part or all of their diet. Occasionally, in captivity, they eat their own young.

Pigs lack sweat glands. Thus they must have access to water or mud to cool themselves during hot weather. Pigs have an excellent sense of smell, in many European countries they are used in the hunting of truffles as they are said to smell like the genitalia of a boar.

Miscellaneous

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Sow and five piglets

See also

See also: Pig