wild pigs

sus scrofa

 Depending on your geographical location here in the u.s. these may be referred to as boar, feral hogs, wild hogs, or as i say simply wild pigs. They are an introduced species that has adapted well and populated to staggering numbers, and in many cases has become a nuissance animal to the agriculture industry and private landowners alike. They first showed up on our continent in the 1500's brought by spanish explorers as part of their native diet, and later planted in certain as a game animal for sport. 

note the large tusks

Although not a native to our land they are still an admirable animal both adaptable and fierce. You will not find one when they are bedded down unless you accidentally stumble upon there hidden spot and its usually in thick cover, but you can spot them sometimes in the early mornings along roadways when they dont mind being spotted as they root through the ground to locate food for their highly varied diet. Eating just about everything you can shake a stick they have a distinct advantage over native animals and often compete for food with them . With sharp tusks a head hard as a rock and weight that can top 400 pounds combined with strength in numbers they usually stand a pretty good chance. Pigs can cover a 10 mile distance in a day searching for food usually close to a water source used for wallowing, hogs do not contain sweat glands so they use water as a cooling method.

tree rub

 In order to find pigs you'll have to read the signs they leave behind which are usually very unsubtle. After wallowing they use nearby trees to remove the mud and get a good scratch sometimes scraping their tusks deep into the bark see below.

tusk scars in bark

 The below photo shows one of the factors of why pigs are hunted down to reduce their numbers, farmers will show up in the morning to this sight in their crops and turn to trapping and hunting to protect their livelihood Even with population control efforts pigs populate so rapidly and constantly they will be a permanent part of our ecosystem whether they are liked or not. 

rooted up earth