Pygmy Hog

The Smallest Pig

Species File

Name: Pygmy Hog

Higher classification: Pig

Rank: Species

Weight: 14.5 ~ 26 Ibs

Length: 21.7 ~ 28 inch

Height: 7.9 ~ 11.8 inch

Proterozoic: India

Habit and Range

Pygmy hog is confined to the tall grass upland of Manas National Park in Assam with an estimated population of below 250. Also pygmy hog is very sensitive to any change in habitat and they are not made to adapt any changes in their Eco system. The density of their population if around 19 per square kilometer.

Role in Ecosystem

Pygmy hogs forage for a wide variety of foods, eating roots, grasses, fruits, insects and earthworms amongst others.

Reason for decline

The reasons for pygmy hog’s decline because there were largely related to extensive destruction and degradation of grassland habitat due to rapid expansion of human settlements and farming activities. 

It including unsustainable livestock grazing, indiscriminate dry season burning of grass, unsustainable thatch grass and minor forest produce collection, flash floods caused by natural or artificial dams and illegal trapping or snaring for bush meat.

For all of reason we can tell the reason why they decline because of our human. because we don't care enough about human-nature relationship.

Cascading Effects/Importance

Compare to human population, Pygmy Hog population is even less than 1 huge classroom students. Also it is really small, it mean 150 remain pygmy hog together might not big enough to fit in to one normal live-room. Also if Pygmy Hod disappear, it might cost change for nature food chain to change other animals inhabit, to cause more animals exciting.

Current Conservation Effort

Nowadays, pygmy hog is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 in India. Also the international trade is banned by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_hog

http://www.arkive.org/pygmy-hog/porcula-salvania/

http://www.sospecies.org/sos_projects/mammals/pygmyhog/

http://relivearth.com/endangered-species/pygmy-hog/