• Babirusa

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  Babirusa information and facts:

  Type: mammal
  Diet: omnivore
  Average lifespan: 10 years
  Weight: 90kg for a babirusa male and.
  60 kg for a babirusa female.

• The Babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) is the last remaining species in the Babyrousinae family. Literally translated from the Malay language, Babirusa means “pig-deer”. Because of their odd appearance, the Babirusa has been the subject of many mystical stories and legends, including one that states that they hang from trees at night by their tusks. There are estimated to be about 4000 of these animals currently living in the wild.

• Babirusa video.
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  Where does the Babirusa live?

  The Babirusa is found on the isolated Indonesian islands of Sula, Sulawesi, and Togian, and they also can be found in the Moluccas on the Buru Island. They are most often found near rivers in forests and rainforests and will build nests out of straw. They are most active early in the morning and often travel in small groups with usually not more than eight animals grouped together. When foraging, they move along the same paths, worn down by years of travel. They also have been known to swim and will sometimes swim far distances to reach small islands and outcroppings.
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  What do Babirusa look like?

  The Babirusa, at least physically, most closely resembles a pig. They have rough, wrinkled skin that is brown or dark gray in color with scattered, spiny yellowish hairs. Unlike a common pig, however, they have fairly long, thin legs. Their most distinguishing features, however, are the tusks. These grow from the snout area, but, unlike traditional tusks, they grow through the skin of the snout from the mouth, curving backwards over the eyes.
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  What does a Babirusa eat?

  The Babirusa is omnivorous, but it most often will eat fruits and nuts, only eating insects and their larvae as the primary source of meat. They appear to be very fond of mangoes but will settle for mushrooms and leaves. Because of the placement of their tusks, they don’t root under the dirt for their food like other pigs.
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  What does the Babirusa like to do?

  The male Babirusa will use trees to sharpen their lower tusks, but do not do the same for the upper, curved tusks. Babirusa will also wallow in the mud like other pigs to get rid of parasites and insects on their skin.
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  How does the Babirusa communicate?

  They communicate with grunts and moans. There still seems to be some debate as to whether the Babirusa is more closely related to the pig or the > hippopotamus. They physically resemble pigs, but fossil records show that they may, indeed, be in the hippopotamus family.

• Babirusa images

  
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