FeralFeast! - Invasive Species DownUnder

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Main > Pigs

Habitats and Adaptability

Pigs

Feral pigs can be found anywhere there is a reliable water supply and source of food. They are especially abundant in the northern tropical rainforests and swamps of Queensland.

They are not found in desert areas due to the unreliable sources of water. One day it would rain and the desert has streams, rivers and inland lakes, the next, the desert is totally dry and barren. Feral pigs require a stable climate and source of water in order to permanently inhabit the desert areas, and the desert climate doesn’t allow for this to occur.

Feral pigs are omnivores. This means that they eat both plants and animals, including eggs. Feral pigs will eat most plants and grasses, insects, reptiles, animal eggs, frogs, juvenile rabbits, and various other small animals.

They can live on carrion, dead, rotting flesh, if they need to. Due to their diet, feral pigs are found in nearly every climate type in Australia. The only thing that limits them from inhabiting desert areas is their need for their daily necessity of water on hot days.

An atrocious act is that hunters are still releasing domesticated and feral pigs into the wild. This is illegal since feral pigs have already been declared pests in many states. This also adds to the already massive population of feral pigs in Australia.

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