Babirusa
Encyclopedia
The North Sulawesi babirusa, Babyrousa celebensis, is a pig-like animal native to northern Sulawesi
and the nearby Lembeh Islands in Indonesia
. It has two pairs of large tusk
s composed of enlarged canine teeth. The canines in the maxilla penetrate the top of the snout, curving back toward the forehead. The North Sulawesi Babirusa is a threatened species
.
The common and scientific names are various transcriptions of its local name, which quite literally means "pig-deer" (from Malay babi "pig" + rusa "deer" - see also Rusa Deer
) in reference to the huge tusks of the male suggestive of a deer's antler
s - and in fact used for a similar purpose.
Babyrousa
, the North Sulawesi Babirusa has usually been considered a subspecies
of a widespread Babyrousa babyrussa, but recent work suggests that there may be several species, differentiable on the basis of geography, body size, amount of body hair, and the shape of the upper canine tooth of the male. Following the split, the "true" Babyrousa babyrussa is restricted to Buru
and the Sula Islands
.
Most experts agree that babirusas are part of the pig family, and are one of the oldest living members of the family, representing a subfamily, Babyrousinae, that branched off from the warthog
branch of the pig family (Subfamily Phacochoerini) during the Oligocene
or early Miocene
.
. The North Sulawesi Babirusa is known for its two pairs of tusk
s; both its upper and its lower pairs of canine teeth
are greatly enlarged, and curve up and back towards the head. The upper canines of the male Buru babirusa are so curved and enlarged that they emerge through the flesh, by way of holes, to pass through the top of the snout.
This species is protected by Indonesian law but is threatened by illegal hunting.
Because it is split-hooved and has a three-chambered stomach (and was thus thought to be a ruminant for a long time), there was some dispute in Halakha
(Jewish law) as to whether the babirusa is, in fact, kosher (permitted according to Jewish dietary laws). Eventually it was found that the animal is not a true ruminant
, and thus remains trefe, like other pigs.
has an excellent breeding record for this animal. There are not many zoos that have bred the animal; some that have are St. Louis Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo
, South Lakes Wild Animal Park
, Marwell Wildlife, and Chester Zoo
.
In 2006, a male North Sulawesi Babirusa and a female domestic pig were accidentally allowed to interbreed in the Copenhagen Zoo. The offspring were 5 hybrid piglets with teeth most resembling the North Sulawesi Babirusa, while their colour was highly variable.
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
and the nearby Lembeh Islands in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It has two pairs of large tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
s composed of enlarged canine teeth. The canines in the maxilla penetrate the top of the snout, curving back toward the forehead. The North Sulawesi Babirusa is a threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
.
The common and scientific names are various transcriptions of its local name, which quite literally means "pig-deer" (from Malay babi "pig" + rusa "deer" - see also Rusa Deer
Rusa Deer
The Javan Rusa or Sunda Sambar is a deer native to the islands of Java, Bali and Timor in Indonesia...
) in reference to the huge tusks of the male suggestive of a deer's antler
Antler
Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...
s - and in fact used for a similar purpose.
Classification
Together with the other members of the genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Babyrousa
Babyrousa
The babirusas are a genus, Babyrousa, in the pig family found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. All members of this genus were considered part of a single species until 2002, the babirusa, B...
, the North Sulawesi Babirusa has usually been considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of a widespread Babyrousa babyrussa, but recent work suggests that there may be several species, differentiable on the basis of geography, body size, amount of body hair, and the shape of the upper canine tooth of the male. Following the split, the "true" Babyrousa babyrussa is restricted to Buru
Buru
Buru is the third largest island within Maluku Islands of Malay Archipelago. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies...
and the Sula Islands
Sula Islands
The Sula Islands are a group of islands in North Maluku in Indonesia. Its three main islands are Mangole, Sanae and Taliabu, with smaller islands Lifamatola and Seho. It is administered as Kepulauan Sula Regency...
.
Most experts agree that babirusas are part of the pig family, and are one of the oldest living members of the family, representing a subfamily, Babyrousinae, that branched off from the warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
branch of the pig family (Subfamily Phacochoerini) during the Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
or early Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
.
Habitat
Its habitat is the underbrush of tropical forests and canebrakes, and the shores of rivers and lakes. Its mostly-hairless, mottled-grey-and-brown hide provide it with a degree of camouflageCamouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
. The North Sulawesi Babirusa is known for its two pairs of tusk
Tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth, usually but not always in pairs, that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canines, as with warthogs, wild boar, and walruses, or, in the case of elephants and narwhals, elongated incisors...
s; both its upper and its lower pairs of canine teeth
Canine tooth
In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, fangs, or eye teeth, are relatively long, pointed teeth...
are greatly enlarged, and curve up and back towards the head. The upper canines of the male Buru babirusa are so curved and enlarged that they emerge through the flesh, by way of holes, to pass through the top of the snout.
This species is protected by Indonesian law but is threatened by illegal hunting.
Because it is split-hooved and has a three-chambered stomach (and was thus thought to be a ruminant for a long time), there was some dispute in Halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
(Jewish law) as to whether the babirusa is, in fact, kosher (permitted according to Jewish dietary laws). Eventually it was found that the animal is not a true ruminant
Ruminant
A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...
, and thus remains trefe, like other pigs.
Captivity
In captivity, the species is very inbred. The Bronx ZooBronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is located in the Bronx borough of New York City, within Bronx Park. It is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, comprising of park lands and naturalistic habitats, through which the Bronx River flows....
has an excellent breeding record for this animal. There are not many zoos that have bred the animal; some that have are St. Louis Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
, South Lakes Wild Animal Park
South Lakes Wild Animal Park
South Lakes Wild Animal Park is a zoo established in 1994 by David Gill, and located in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.The park is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and bills itself as one of the best conservation zoos in the country.-History:The zoo was opened by...
, Marwell Wildlife, and Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is a zoological garden at Upton-by-Chester, in Cheshire, England. It was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family, who used as a basis some animals reported to have come from an earlier zoo in Shavington. It is one of the UK's largest zoos at...
.
In 2006, a male North Sulawesi Babirusa and a female domestic pig were accidentally allowed to interbreed in the Copenhagen Zoo. The offspring were 5 hybrid piglets with teeth most resembling the North Sulawesi Babirusa, while their colour was highly variable.
External links
- ARKive - images and movies of the babirusas (Babyrousa spp)
- Short narrated video about the Babirusa
- http://www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/Babirusa.asp
- http://darrennaish.blogspot.com/2006/08/many-babirusa-species-laissez-faire.html
- http://www.ylm.se/default.asp?s=3d/
- http://www.rufford.org/rsg/Projects/LynnClayton
- http://www.whitleyaward.org/display.php?id=84
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3493161.stm
- http://earth-info-net-babirusa.blogspot.com/
- http://www.thejakartapost.com/weekender/5profile.asp