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Species of the month

Desert Warthog

Phacochoerus aethiopicus

Some facts about this mammal:

Size: Stands 75 cm at the shoulder.
Weight: 70 to 115 kilograms.
Life-span: 15 years.
Range: Africa south of the Sahara; mostly distributed in East Africa.
Diet: Grazer. Also digs for bulbs, tubers and roots.
Predators: Lions and leopards.
First described: In 1766 by the German zoologist and botanist Peter Simon Pallas.

Phacochoerus aethiopicus may not be "beautiful", but it's surely robust and enduring, being able to live in areas without water for several months of the year. It has two pairs of tusks with eyes set high on the head for keeping a lookout for predators. To eat short grass it kneels on its calloused, hairy, padded knees.

(Archived from Template:Species of the week)