Habitat
Wild hogs are not native to America. Brought by early
Spanish explorers, they have now spread across the
United States. Wild pigs are highly adaptable and
capable of fending for themselves, making them
capable of existing in a variety of habitats.The animals
are often considered a nuisance because of their habits.
Wild hogs can root down below three feet in softer soils,
destroying habitats for other wildlife, destroy crops, kill
small animals, and can be aggressive toward humans.
Wild hogs like swampy areas and mild winters. The problem
is boars can have 3 litters of 2 to 8 pigs every year, so
they multiply rapidly.
Florida's Wild Hog Population
Wild hogs have now inhabited some areas in Florida. Florida's wild hogs are often referred to as feral hogs or swine and are of three different types. These include free-ranging swine which come from
domesticated stock, Eurasian wild boar, and hybrids of the two. All wild hogs are typically referred to as feral in Florida and all are considered the same species, Sus scrofa. Wild hogs in Florida are known to carry Swine Brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can infect people. Hogs can also carry Pseudorabies, which is not harmful to humans but is fatal to dogs.