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Feral pig
- Feral pig (Sus scrofa)
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- Feral pigs can damage sugar cane, wheat, banana and strawberry crops
General information
The feral pig (Sus scrofa) is one of the most widespread and damaging pest animals in Queensland. Feral pigs in Australia are descendants of various subspecies of the domestic pig. Accidental and deliberate releases of domestic and semi-feral pigs have resulted in a large feral pig population.
The feral pig is a declared Class 2 pest under Queensland legislation. It is the responsibility of landholders to control feral pigs on their land.
| Scientific name |
Sus scrofa |
| Impacts |
- can damage almost all crops from sowing to harvest
- feeds on seed, grain, fruit and vegetable crops
- lamb predation
- damages pastures by grazing and rooting
- can also spread weeds
- can carry many diseases and parasites
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| Description |
- smaller, leaner and more muscular than domestic pigs with well-developed shoulders and necks and smaller, shorter hindquarters
- sparse, coarse hair
- longer, larger snouts and tusks, straighter tails, smaller mostly pricked ears and much narrower backs than domestic pigs
- mostly black, buff-coloured or spotted black and white
- juveniles may be striped
- old boars (razorbacks) have massive heads and shoulders and a raised, prominent backbone
- generally shy and nocturnal
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| Habitat and life cycle |
- inhabit about 40% of Australia from subalpine grasslands to monsoonal floodplains
- found in all areas of Queensland
- greatest concentrations on the larger drainage basins and swamp areas of the coast and inland
- females and juveniles usually live in small family groups
- adult males are typically solitary
- in ideal conditions sows can produce two litters of 4-10 piglets a year
- weaning occurs after 2-3 months
- in good conditions feral pig populations may increase fivefold in 12 months
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| Control |
- difficult to control in some situations
- different control methods including shooting, poisoning, trapping and fencing with land management practices is most effective
- see the control of feral pigs fact sheet for further information
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| Declaration details |
- a declared Class 2 species under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002
- landholders are required to control its numbers on their land
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| Further information |
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Page maintained by Sonia Jordan
Last reviewed 15 December 2009
