Pig 30cm - Cuddly Toy

Physical Characteristics
A pig has a snout for a nose, small eyes, and a small tail, which may be curly, kinked, or straight. It has a thick body, short legs, and coarse hair. There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used for walking.

Habitat
Pigs are found almost everywhere in the world. Though they are native to Eurasia, there is hardly any country of the world where you cannot find pigs roaming around the rubbish bins.

Behaviour
Pigs have been domesticated since ancient times in the Old World and are known for their exceptional intelligence. Pigs do not prefer to sit in mud. In fact, they prefer cleanliness much more than other animals. They use the mud only as a coolant in summers, that too out of necessity. The scream of a frightened pig can measure 115 decibels, higher than the taking off noise of a jet engine (113 decibels).

Breeding
Breeding occurs throughout the year in the tropics for pigs, but births peak around rainy seasons. A female pig can become pregnant at around 8-18 months of age. A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 piglets. After the young are weaned, two or more families may come together until the next mating season.

Diet
Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Pigs will scavenge and have been known to eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, and even other pigs. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers.

Strange and Interesting Facts
Pigs do not have functional sweat glands so pigs cool themselves using water or mud during hot weather. They also use mud as a form of sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn. Mud also provides protection against flies and parasites.