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Warthog


Warthog
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1115 W: 59 N: 2257] (7477)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-17
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Nikon D70, AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6 G, Digital JPEG
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Camouflage [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-04-15 11:18
Viewed: 1049
Points: 68
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A photo from 2005, taken in the Addo Elephant N.P. in South Africa.
The warthog (Phacochoerus africanus, "African Lens-Pig") is a wild member of the pig family that lives in Africa. The common name comes from the four large wart-like tusks found on the head of the warthog, which serve the purpose of defense when males fight. They are the only widely recognised species in their genus, though some authors divide them into two species. On that classification, P. africanus is the common (or northern) warthog and P. aethiopicus is the desert warthog, also known as the Cape or Somali warthog.

Subspecies
Northern warthog (Phacochoerus africanus africanus)
Eritrean warthog (Phacochoerus africanus aeliani)
Central African warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus)
Southern warthog (Phacochoerus africanus sundevallii)

Description
Warthogs range in size from 0.9 to 1.5 metres in length and 50 to 150 kg (110-330 pounds) in weight. A warthog is identifiable by the two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth, which are used as weapons against predators. The upper canine teeth can grow to 9 inches (23 cm), and are of a squashed circle shape in cross section, almost rectangular, being about 4.5 cm deep and 2.5 cm wide. The tusk will curve 90 degrees or more from the root, and the tusk will not lie flat on a table, as it curves somewhat backwards as it grows. The tusks are used for digging, for combat with other hogs, and in defence against predators -- the lower set can inflict severe wounds.
Warthog ivory is taken from the constantly growing canine teeth. Each warthog has a pair of teeth in each jaw with the lower teeth being far shorter than the upper teeth. Both pairs grow upwards, with the upper teeth being by far the more spectacular in appearance. The lower pair, however, are the more dangerous: the teeth are straight, sharply pointed, and keep a keen edge by the upper pair rubbing against the lower pair. The tusks, more often the upper set, are worked much in the way of elephant tusks with all designs scaled down. Tusks are carved predominantly for the tourist trade in East and Southern Africa.

Ecology
Although warthogs are commonly seen in (and associated with) open grasslands, they will seek shelter and forage in denser vegetation. In fact, warthogs prefer to forage in dense, moist areas when available. The common warthog diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, eggs, dead animals, and even small mammals, reptiles and birds. The diet is seasonably variable, depending on availability of different food items. Areas with many bulbs, rhizomes and nutritious roots can support large numbers of warthogs. Warthogs are powerful diggers, using both heads and feet. When feeding, they often bend the front legs backwards and move around staying on the knees. Although they can dig their own burrows, they commonly occupy abandoned aardvark burrows. The warthog commonly enters burrows "back-end first", with the head always facing the opening and ready to burst out as needed.
Warthogs are fast runners and quite capable jumpers. They will often run with their tails in the air. Despite poor eyesight, warthogs have a good sense of smell, which they use for locating food, detecting predators and recognizing other animals.
Although capable of fighting, and males will aggressively fight each other during mating season, a primary defense is to flee by means of fast sprinting. The main warthog predators are humans, lions, leopards, crocodiles, and hyenas. Cheetahs are also capable of catching small warthogs.
Warthogs have been observed allowing banded mongooses groom them to remove ticks.

Longevity
Wild warthogs can live up to 15 years, and captive warthogs may live as long as 18. The typical gestation period is 5 or 6 months and the litter is 2 to 8 piglets, although 2 to 4 is more typical. Piglets are weaned at 3 or 4 months of age, reaching sexual maturity at 18 to 24 months. Females may give birth twice or, in extremely rare cases, up to five times per year.
(source: Wikipedia)
goldyrs, pekkavalo1, SelenE, jaycee, nglen, Luis52, vanderschelden, Jamesp, Proframe, NinaM, Adanac, loot, JPlumb, boreocypriensis, gannu, Alex99, hester, Argus, marhowie, claudine, Tamrock, gracious has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Peter,

Very impressive beast. Great shot with good pose and composition, sharp details but colours are a bit dull.

TFS

Pekka

Hello Peter
This is a simply superb picture..This Warthog is a feisty little fellow..your a brave man!!...perfect focus and colour balance as the hog is so camouflaged in his territory.
Best Regards
paul

Hallo Peter,

Wat een pracht van een foto en dat in 1 tint, bruin.
Lijkt wel een son sur ton opname.
Klasse!

groet Gert

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 741 W: 11 N: 1382] (4763)
  • [2008-04-15 11:56]

Hi Peter

Superb shot of the Warthog
Nicely composed with a good POV and a very Nice pose with excellent eye contact.
Good details.
Lovely warm colours tones, he blends in so well with the BG I've added him to a camouflage theme.

Hil

Hi Peter, splendid Phacocerus in great pose with good details and great sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2307 W: 59 N: 3688] (11816)
  • [2008-04-15 12:34]

Hi Peter,
Details, color tones, composition and lighting are very nice. TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1687 W: 8 N: 4335] (14097)
  • [2008-04-15 12:38]

Hi Peter,

Wonderful shot of this Warthog. I remember them well from South Africa. Excellent details of the face that only a mother would love. I like the messed up coat and the wonderful colors of both the animal and the setting.

Jane

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1901 W: 4 N: 5175] (19712)
  • [2008-04-15 12:41]

Hi Peter. What a great shot of a fantastic looking animal. Good detail int he skin . he was looking straight at you. his colour matches the dry grass so well. TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • cako Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 0 N: 317] (1781)
  • [2008-04-15 13:52]

Hi Peter
This is very beautiful image
very good sharp
well done.

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1015 W: 5 N: 2759] (10010)
  • [2008-04-15 14:05]

Hola Peter.
Muy bella foto. simple pero hermosa. Bellos detalles y gran nitidez. Exelente nota escrita Peter.
Saludos
Luis52.

Hallo Peter,
Hoe langer je kijkt, hoe mooier ie wordt...:)
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1213 W: 0 N: 4642] (13806)
  • [2008-04-15 15:05]

Hi Peter

Both well camoflaged and excellent detail. Well done.

James

Hi Peter,

Perfect shot of an animal I did'nt see many pictures of sofar.
Not really the most beautiful animal I've ever seen :)
I've also heard that hese guys are not exactly the most sympatatic ones as one comes to close.
You must be a brave man to have done so.
Great details and I love the warm color tones wich are almost the same at the fur, the fore and background.
Excellent work and great note. TFS!!!

Best wishes, Harry

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 544 W: 0 N: 1338] (4443)
  • [2008-04-15 16:32]

That is what I call a camouflaged animal, great shot Peter. What an animal, strange looking and beautiful at the same time. I like the monocolour of this picture, it's almost like a sepia picture. We see the details and the thin fur of the warthog, I am surprised. Thank you for the intersting notes too,

Francine

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1036 W: 1 N: 3970] (13358)
  • [2008-04-15 22:13]

Hello Peter,
Splendid image of this beast with the face only its mother could love. Your image has great camera work throughout, thank you for sharing.
Rick

Oh wow Peter. This guy is so ugly he's beautiful. Good detail on this hairy beast, and I like the colour how it blends in so well with its background. Nicely done.

Thanks, John

Hello Peter,
Very nice photo of this mean looking Warthog. Perfect camera setting to get this wonderful image. Very well done.
JC

Hi my beloved friend Peter,
Excellent shot of a Warthog. Superb clarity and eye contact.
Great composition!
TFS.
Greetings from Cyp.
Bayram

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 844 W: 4 N: 2088] (9792)
  • [2008-04-16 5:01]

WOW what an interesting animal. Lovely view and good compo. Ganesh

Hello Peter
You did good work by capturing this cool guy in reddish atmosphere which is typical for Africa. I have seen this guys in central Africa and they are really cool.
Well done and TFS
Ralf

Simply superb shot, Peter!
You've got some beautiful shots from the past...
Very well done!
Cheers!
Goldy

Hi Peter, this is a a rather humorous and nasty looking Warthog. Great Pov and pose to show all it's features with sharp detail. Really blends in with the background this time of year with the dry grass. Good camo color. Fine shot of an unusual animal. Tfs mf Richard

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1470 W: 18 N: 2966] (10884)
  • [2008-04-16 11:06]

Hi Peter

These are great, what a face! I love the pose, the eye contact, the sharp details and th colour tones

TFS

Karan

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5695 W: 603 N: 3357] (8939)
  • [2008-04-16 13:20]
  • [3]

Hi Peter

Just the other day I said to Anna (Miss Piggy) how strange it is that I do not have any real good side on photos of a single Warthog. I have shot them from any and every angle, but somehow I just never manage to get a nice shot free of any interference from other Warthogs, branches, grasses, etc. Now this is the kind of shot I mean. Fabulous in all respects. An ideal shot to display the species in all its glory (ok, since it's a pig, maybe the lack of glory, but you know what I mean).

A lovely profile shot showing all four legs, the tail (that so quickly turns into an antennae when this guy goes on the trot), a complete side view of the body, a great full on facial showing the warts and those magnificent yet deadly tusks, the mane and the facial whiskers, and finally the erect and sharply pointed ears. This shot has it all. Further it was captured with good details and natural colours and placed in a well positioned composition. What more does it need? Just perfect.

Very well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2991 W: 148 N: 4435] (14369)
  • [2008-04-17 6:25]

Hi Peter.
Great shot of amazing animal. I am impressed with eye-contact and solid look of the gentleman. Superb sharpness and details, wonderful natural rich colour palette. Framing and composition are excellent too. I am sure the warthog also like this image. Bravo.
Alexei.

Hello Peter
Il est génial
on dirait 'moi' quand je suis furieux...
Merci pour ces specimens de l'hémisphère sud.
Laurent

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2496 W: 132 N: 7098] (22175)
  • [2008-04-17 13:05]

Hello Peter,
An excellent portrait of this 'beauty' the Warthog looking quite camouflaged against the BG but sharp enough to stand out in a conventional pose taken from a fine POV.
Thanks for sharing this, not so often seen on TN,
Ivan

Beautifully ugly Peter :)
He looks a bit lean, but in the wild they go for quite awhile between meals..
Good exposure, color, comp, DOF, POV, and sharp details.
Well done,
Howard

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-04-18 20:52]

Hello Peter

You have filled the frame well with this porcine fellow.
The focus and details are very good.
Excellent eye contact.
The POV and DOF are well done.
lovely natural colours.
TFS

Rob

Who would not love this wonderful warthog photo! While not beautiful in the socially accepted way, they are amazing creatures. Fabulous face-on shot!

Hi Peter,
This animal is very well adapted to its environment. It is the same colors and the vegetation! This is a nice presentation of unusual specie! You caught nice details in good exposure with interesting eye contact! Well done!
Claudine

hi peter!
what a great animal!
nice pic with good composition
and fine matching colours!
well done!

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1245 W: 78 N: 852] (7464)
  • [2008-04-24 2:08]

hello Peter
wonderful capture of this interesting model
i like its pose, POV, light, colours, sharpness and details
TFS
regards
izler

Hello Peter,
This Warthog is really well captured with a good pose of it!
the image is sharp with wonderful colour and superb details in the shot!
also like to thank you for the informative and useful notes for the image
my best wishes goes to you
from NZ Tony

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