Quick answer
Key facts about warthog — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Tusks and defence
Upper and lower canine tusks sharpen each other and are used in fights between males and against predators. When threatened, warthogs prefer flight — running with tail straight up — but may charge if cornered. They sleep and rear young in burrows stolen from aardvarks.
Kneeling grazers
Calloused 'knees' on the front legs allow warthogs to graze low grasses comfortably. They also root for bulbs and use their snout to dig. Water holes are visited regularly when available.
Social groups
Females and young form sounders, while adult males are often solitary or join groups briefly during the rut. After a gestation of about six months, sows retreat to a burrow to farrow.
Conservation
Warthogs are Least Concern with wide distribution, though local declines occur from hunting and habitat change. They are important prey for lions, leopards, and hyenas, and tolerate presence near safari tourism when not persecuted.