Red river hogs are wild members of the pig family that live in Africa. They have striking orange to reddish-brown fur, with black legs and a tufted white stripe along the spine. Adults have white markings around the eyes and on the cheeks and jaws; the rest of the muzzle and face are a contrasting black. The fur on the jaw and the flanks is longer than that on the body, with the males having especially prominent facial whiskers. The entire body of red river hogs is covered with hair, with no bare skin visible. Males are slightly larger than females and have conical protuberances on either side of the snout and small, sharp tusks. These facial protuberances are bony and probably protect the male's face during head-to-head combat with other males. |