The wild boar

Shirvan National Park

Is an animal species belonging to the class Mammalia, the order Artiodactyla, and the family Suidae. The body length is 130–175 cm, and the weight is 60–150 kg. Its colour ranges from light grey to black. Its legs are short and relatively thin. Its head is large and constitutes one-third of its body. The size and shape of its head are adapted for digging the ground. Its ears are long and wide, and its eyes are small. Its body is covered with thick hair, which becomes denser in winter. Piglets have striped coats. They live in herds. They feed on the green parts of plants, roots, tubers, fruits, berries, nuts, insects, and small animals such as molluscs, fish, rodents, and birds. The mating season begins in November and lasts until January. Males drive young boars out of the herd and chase females. The gestation period lasts 124–140 days. On average, 4–6 piglets are born, and in rare cases, 12. Its main natural enemy is the wolf.