Facts About Pigs for Kids
Did you know mother pigs sing to their baby pigs? Strange yet cute, right? Humans love pigs so much that they love us back twice as much as we love them. Pigs are the most fascinating and cutest mammals on earth. They are petted for years and taken care of by the people.
There are many facts these people have unravelled about the pigs that’ll blow your mind. These facts about the pigs are quite unknown and rare. However, keeping in mind how intelligent these mammals are, we’ve compiled some interesting facts for you to enjoy. Here are surprising facts about the pigs:
Quick Facts about Pigs
- Newborn piglets recognize their mother’s voices when they are as young as two weeks old.
- Pigs do not sweat but regulate their body temperature in mud.
- Pigs are emotionally intelligent creatures.
- Pigs form dominance hierarchies from the time they are born.
- Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are popular pets in many parts of America.
- Pigs are the only animals in medical history that have successfully donated whole organs to human beings.
- Irish fishermen believed that pigs were a symbol of bad luck.
- All pigs have small lungs that are disproportionate to the size of their bodies.
1. National Pig Day
The first amazing fact about pigs is that they have a whole special day meant for them, celebrated joyfully in the United States. It was started by two sisters (Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave) in 1972 in Lubbock. On National Pigs day, every citizen of the US celebrates to mark how much the pigs have become a part of American culture. The national pig’s day is marked on the 1st of March.
In the Midwest, the government bodies are provided with an official National Pigs Day holiday. In addition, many national parks, zoos, schools, and colleges celebrate to honor and explore more about pigs on this day.
#2 Most Intelligent Animals
Surprisingly, Pigs are among the most intelligent creatures on the earth. According to several scientists, a pig’s IQ is comparable to that of a three-year-old human kid. Other animals are not as intelligent as pigs. Pigs are considered the smartest domesticated animals. Their mind is more curious and insightful than other animals. Extraordinary fun fact: Pigs can focus more on video games.
#3 They Have a Keen Sense of Smell
Pigs have low eyesight compared to other animals but have a keen sense of smell. They can smell and sense their food. Their powerful ability allows them to sense food present under the ground. Farmers often use pigs to look for precious truffle mushrooms grown deep in the soil. It sounds like there’s no need for extra labour when you’ve got the pig.
#4 Pigs Are Very Clean Animals
These are one of the cleanest animals around us. You may wonder how pigs are called clean animals despite rolling on mud all day. But the fact is rolling on mud doesn’t make any animal dirty. Pigs are considered the cleanest because they defecate near their eating and sleeping area.
Even if they’re given a choice, they won’t relieve themselves anywhere near their living areas. Instead, they prefer places like bushes and the roots of the trees. Even the newly born pigs also understand this.
#5 Pigs Can’t Sweat
As we humans are capable of sweating, pigs are not. We, humans, sweat to cool down our body temperature. Pigs usually play in the mud, which helps to keep them cool and saves their body from sunburn. Also, pigs have fewer sweat glands. Since the pigs cannot sweat, the expression “sweating like a pig” is also inaccurate.
#6 They Can Be Faster Than You Think
Most people think pigs can’t run faster because of their fat and heavy torso. This fact is inaccurate because one of the most interesting facts about pigs is they sprint. They run faster than you think.
Let us clarify your doubt by sharing an interesting fact about domestic pigs whose speed is up to 17km/h. Wild pigs are capable of running up to 50km/h. But they cannot run for longer distances. So if you run behind any pig, you may find it extremely difficult to catch them because they run in a zigzag position.
#7 Pigs Are Smarter Than Dogs
Pigs are highly social, making them favourable in many communities across the USA. However, we didn’t discuss the above amazing facts that they are highly social, caring, friendly, and sensitive animals, making them no less than pet dogs. In addition, they are the most intelligent animals and are smarter to sense their surroundings quicker.
If you start training a dog and a pig simultaneously, you can teach a pig in less time than a dog. Surprisingly piglets take only two weeks to learn and become familiar with their name. They’ll respond to your call whenever you call them by running towards you immediately. In addition, pigs can play video games more effectively than certain primates.
#8 Pigs Are Omnivore Animals
Pigs are animals that usually love to eat and are fond of trying a new variety of food in their routine life. They are not considered good hunters, but they eat meat. Pigs consume grasses, leaves, roots, and flowers when allowed to forage and scavenge. They eat meat from small animals and fish as well.
#9 Heaviest Pig
On average, a fully-grown pig can weigh around 300 to 700 pounds. In 1933, a pig from Tennessee was announced to be the world’s heaviest pig, and that record has not been beaten yet. Tennessee’s Big Bill weighed 2,552 pounds. It was a huge pig. Piglets weigh around 2.5 pounds at birth, although this weight normally doubles within the first week.
#10 Their Common Names
There are some widely used names for the pigs. Pigs are also referred to as swine or hogs. The male pigs are called –boars, whereas the female pigs are called – sows. And their scientific name is Sus scrofa domesticus. Carl Linnaeus discovered pigs’ scientific names in 1758.
#11 Pigs Suffer Immensely On Factory Farms
Most farm animals are in-grown and copulated in factory farms to be sold in the market. Due to the world’s unquenchable need for meat, pigs are bred in unimaginable numbers. Mother pigs, for example, are confined to such a little space in the backyard that they can scarcely move or lie down comfortably.
Pigs suffer from cruel conditions, including tail docking and teething, due to the lack of space on industrial farms, which causes stress, anxiety, and hostility in the pigs as they get older.
#12 Pigs Dream And Like To Sleep Nose-To-Nose
Another fact in our list of surprising facts about pigs is when pigs go to the kingdom of dreams, they want to sleep together and stay near each other, and they often make sure to touch their companions when they are sleeping with their family. They generally touch each other’s noses. Pigs, who build intimate bonds with other pigs and people, are the friendliest creatures.
#13 Pigs Love Rubbing Their Body
As we humans love to play and watch movies, we do many other playful activities for our entertainment. Similarly, pigs also have their way of entertainment: they like to rub their body with the trees or the ground. You may have seen them doing this activity. Sometimes they like rubbing their bodies with each other while playing.
#14 Mother Pigs Sing To Their Babies
This fact would remind you of your childhood days when your mom sang a lullaby to make you sleep. The mother of pigs does the same. She sings to her babies while nursing; this is the nicest thing ever. Pigs learn to rush to their mothers’ voices when they are born, continuously communicating with one another.
#15 Piglets
A baby pig is referred to as a piglet. A well-cared embryo can produce ten pigs each year. Pigs normally give birth twice a year. Piglets are extremely sensitive to the cold and seek out any opportunity to snuggle up. They will also burrow down under hay enclosures to be warm.
#16 Pigs Have Excellent Memory
We have reached the second last fact about the pigs, and certainly confident that you are enjoying the article as much as we are. As we know, pigs are extremely clever and can outsmart primates at video games; on the other hand, pigs will remember things for a long time. It is because they have a distinct memory, particularly when it comes to food. They will not forget to look for the perfect spot to hang out as well.
#17 Pigs Are Deserving Of Good Lives
Now let us discuss the last unknown fact about the pigs. When it comes to emotions and feeling pain, pigs are extremely sensitive. Each pig on the farm has its personality and desire.
But the industrial farm denies their natural upbringing by providing a hostile and inhumane atmosphere. Every pig needs a happy existence in which it will rear its offspring and engage in natural behaviours such as foraging for food, cuddling other pigs, and wandering freely.
Conclusion
In the above article, we have discussed some interesting facts about pigs that are interesting and informative. We have covered topics like why the pigs live in the mud, why they love to rub their bodies, and most about their amazing living style. We hope you enjoyed reading this article and learned something new and interesting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Are there any unique cultural or historical associations with pigs in different parts of the world?
In many places of the world, pigs have important cultural and historical connotations. Pigs are often used as a metaphor for wealth, fortune, and abundance throughout Europe. This is especially clear at joyous events like New Year’s celebrations, where pig-shaped decorations or foods are frequently served.
Pigs are viewed as a sign of wealth and fertility in some Asian civilizations. The pig, one of the 12 zodiac animals in Chinese culture, is a symbol of fortune. Pigs have historically been used in agriculture as a source of food and economic benefit for local communities.
2. What are some misconceptions about pigs that people commonly have?
There are some widespread myths regarding pigs. One misunderstanding is that pigs are unclean creatures. Pigs, on the other hand, have a very clean temperament and will set aside certain portions of their living quarters for waste disposal.
Another myth is that pigs are sluggish or stupid. Pigs actually rank among the most intelligent domesticated animals and are very intellectual creatures. They are capable of picking up difficult skills, finding solutions, and even showing emotion.
3. How do pigs communicate with each other?
Pigs use a range of vocalisations, body language cues, and scent markers to communicate with one another. They communicate through grunts, squeals, and snorts in varied ways. For instance, a piglet in distress when separated from its mother will shriek loudly.
Pigs can also express their emotions through the way they hold themselves, for as by wagging their tails or standing on their bristles. Pigs also have a good sense of smell and mark their area with fragrance to let other pigs know they are there and where they are.