Pigs

Three juvenile pigs in a pen

Pigs, Swines, Hogs . . . Whatever you call them they are thought of as either cute and pink (Wilbur, Babe) or ugly and dirty. Why do pigs get such a bad rep as being dirty animals though? Pigs actually like to be clean. If they are given enough room they will make sure to keep their sleeping and eating spaces clean. Sure they like to roll around in mud, but don't you get muddy sometimes? Plus their mud rolling has a very practical purpose. Pigs can't sweat (there goes the "sweating like a pig" thing) and roll around in the mud to keep cool. Think of it like a day at the spa. Pigs are also quite smart. Young pigs learn their names very quickly and will even learn tricks like a dog, but much faster. One fun fact about pigs is that mother pigs will grunt (or sing) to her piglets while nursing.

two mature wild pigs
Pot bellied pig
Did You Know?
  • Pigs have a better sense of smell than humans. Their nose works up to 2000 times better than ours. This allows them to find food in the wild.
  • Pigs are super fast and hard to catch. Pigs run in a zigzag pattern up to 10 mph for domestic pigs and 50 mph for wild hogs.
  • Pigs and Warthogs are relatives. Wilbur from Charlotte's Web is related to Pumbaa from The Lion King.
  • The pig is the last of the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. The pig represents fortune, honesty, and happiness.
  •  It took 46 piglets to play the role of Wilbur in the live action Charlotte's Web.