# What Do Warthogs Eat?

> What warthogs eat: Omnivore — mainly grasses, roots, and berries, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Savannas and open woodland in sub-Saharan Africa.

- **Species:** Warthog (*Phacochoerus africanus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore — mainly grasses, roots, and berries
- **Habitat:** Savannas and open woodland in sub-Saharan Africa
- **Lifespan:** 12–15 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 48 km/h (30 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/warthog/what-do-warthog-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/warthog/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Warthogs are wild pigs of African savannas, named for the facial warts and armed with sharp tusks curving upward. They kneel on calloused front legs to graze, back into burrows for safety, and can run 48 km/h (30 mph) with tail erect like an antenna.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## 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.

## Help protect the Warthog

Warthogs depend on open savanna that is being fenced, farmed, and carved up across Africa.

[Donate to habitat protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/newsroom/habitat-loss-wildlife-extinction/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/warthog/what-do-warthog-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.