Tag Archives: Wild boar

Mammals of Spain

Iberian Wild Boar – Sus scrofa – Jabali

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  • Subspecies in Spain: Sus scrofa castilianus (Thomas, 1912) and Sus scofra baeticus (Thomas, 1912)
  • Body length: 120 cm.
  • Tail length: 22cm.
  • Height at the withers: 65 cm.
  • Weight: Males between 70 and 90 kgs., Females between 40 and 65 kgs. Occasionally even 150 kgs.
  • Lifespan: 20 years recorded in captivity 8 to 12 years in the wild

Description and Habits

The Iberian Wild Boar – Sus scrofa – Jabali is a medium-sized mammal with a large and elongated head and very small eyes. The neck is thick and the legs are very short, which further accentuates its plump body. The forequarters are bigger than the hindquarters which is unlike the domestic pig that has been bred to develop the rear of its body to be larger in order to reach the highest value in the meat market.

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Spain Wildlife News and Updates

Wild boar damaging wetland ecosystems

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A recent survey studying the impact of Iberian wild boar in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park has come to the conclusion that the population causes a serious threat to the ecosystem and threatens the reproductive success of aquatic birdlife in the area.

The Complutense University of Madrid and scientists from the Research Institute of Hunting Resources (IREC) has published the study in the journal Ecological Indicators, points out that the increase in wild boar that is taking place in almost 80% of the wetlands in Castilla la Mancha also affects adversely the population of the wild rabbit, which is a key prey food species for many threatened top level predators

The research has shown that the wild boar, thanks to its characteristics as an omnivorous, prolific and highly adaptable mammal, is expanding in the twenty-six wetlands analyzed, especially in the Tablas de Daimiel National Park, where its impact is reaching “ unsustainable levels”, warn the authors adding “The protection of certain environments and especially the absence of hunting favor the proliferation of wild boar, which has a cascading effect on the entire ecosystem.

The study is published here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21002284

Read more about The Iberian Wild boar Here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/iberian-wild-boar-sus-scofra-jabali/

Join in on the discussion at the Iberia Nature Forum: https://iberianatureforum.com/forums/topic/wild-boar-damaging-wetland-ecosystems/