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The two warts mentioned above are clearly visible in this photo

That is a useful picture Jazil. That is a female warthog as males have two pairs of 'warts' on the sides of the head compared to a female's one pair, which is relatively small (as in picture).

The picture is useful because you can see the dark discolouration or 'tears' running down from the eye.

Warthogs have two major types of facial glands, the tusk gland located in the upper lid behind the tusks, and the preorbital gland. Which is found near the inside of the eyes (as in the picture).

The tusk gland secretion is found to be involved in warthog courtship and territory marking with the preorbital gland. Another function of the tusk gland includes communicating status.This is particularly key to warthogs since males are solitary and live with one or more females in which their home ranges overlap.

The height of scent and tusk scrape marks could provide clues to the largest most dominant males in the area.

Rubbing together of preorbital glands is a means of communication between individuals and important in the courtship display between prospective mates.

The location of this gland is not near the enlarged warts and the warts are dermal and do not contain glands. Its believed that because males have larger and more numerous growths, that they evolved to protect the eyes and jaw from sparring contests with other males during dominance battles and practice. Contests of strength are usually tusk-to-tusk and forehead-to-forehead pushing matches. Low sideways blows are wicked and violent fights are bloody, though it usually doesnt come down to that. The mouth is usually kept closed during ritualized heirarchy sparring, with the upper and lower tusks clamped together. Warts offer protection from this potential damage.

Warthogs have no sweat glands, theres a fact u coulda used. and like elephants are usually left or right 'handed/tusked' and use one more than the other wearing it down.

This is a picture of the same warthog, you can see that she is pregnant. Her nipples are long and extended.


Thank you for the info re the "two pairs of warts" for the males.

Translation below

Alo amigos

Eu estou feliz por ter tido temp escrever vos de novo no forum. E estou feliz porque o Jumbo tem muito tempo de traduzir.

Na vizita que fezemos em Setembro em Kruger eu e Jumbo vimos o javalim na bela da Estrada a alimentar-se de merda do elefante,
Isto era antes de chuver e o arbusto estava muito seco.

eu queria saber se e de costume alimento ou porque arbusto estava seco e nao tinha nada para comer. Ou porque precisava de algumas baterias?

Hallo friends

I am happy to have time to write something new on the forum. I am also happy Jumbo now has time to translate for me.

On my last visit to Kruger in September, Jumbo and me saw a warthog at the edge of the road that was eating elephant dung. This was before the rain and the bush was very dry.

I want to know if this is normal food for them or did he eat it because the bush was dry and he had nothing else to eat? Or is it because he needed some bacteria?

Or is it that he is after the nuts in the dung? Ellies hardly digest their food, so most comes out unchanged, especially the nuts.

Never knew that.
I often wondered how such a big creature could get nutrition from such seemingly dry substance.
I missed the family groups of warthog on my last visit, so I can only think that it should also be warthog birthing time.

We saw lots of warthog families with young ones quite small in December last year. First time I've ever seen a baby warthog - even cuter than their parents.

Interesting information about the difference in the number of "warts" between the different sexes.
Below then photos of males. The lone one must be an old one when you look at the size of the "warts" compared to those of the 2 on the other photo. Any body knows if the size of the "warts" are indicative of age?

In the book “A complete guide to the Snakes of Southern Africaâ€Â

[quote="Jumbo"]In the book “A complete guide to the Snakes of Southern Africaâ€Â

Plenty of warthog in the Park currently! Especially around Skukuza. Babies galore.

Nice pic!

Afew from the south of Kruger.

There was a very interesting leter in Africa Geographic regarding a warthog killing and eating a new born oribi calf just moments after the animal was born ( the warthog had been foraging near the oribi cow prior to the birth )!