Giant forest hog etc

[condor]

Re.the Giant Forest Hog[ivoriensis]at San Diego..it certainly wasnt a dark Bushpig

based on what? Some of its proportions and pelage were odd for forest hog and the three times I have seen it in person I have been struck by its non-forest hog appearance (I've seen wild forest hogs of the central race). I don't think size ever was an issue. The relatively small size of western forest hogs (and intermediate size of central forest hogs) has been well known for decades and is even covered in 'pop' literature. The wattles in both sexes are proportionally similar to the respective sexes of the eastern race. I am not sure if the San Diego animal was a pure dark bushpig but I would feel better about that, or perhaps a hybrid that involved bushpig/forest hog/domestic pig type, than claims of pure forest hog.

Photo that also has some female eastern forest hogs (larger size of this race is irrelevant on a photo, proportions are the key)

2 photos of San Diego 'forest hog'

 

[Tim Brown]

Hmm..must admit youve got a point condor,i was relying on memory-when i look at the photograph it doent look much like a G.F.Hog at all.Im intrigued to know what popular literature discusses Forest Hog races tho!

 

[condor]

Im intrigued to know what popular literature discusses Forest Hog races

Easily available popular literature that mentions size differences among populations:
Walker's Mammals of the World, volume 2
Lonely Planet West Africa, wildlife section (new editions have been published since mine, I don't know if they differ)
Handbook of Mammals of the World, Hoofed Mammals

Both the Kingdon and the Collins guides to African mammals mention population differences in piglet pattern but not size