The Mexican Creole hairless pig is a unique genotype that is believed to have been introduced to Mexico during the Spanish conquest.[1] The genotype is being conserved by researchers of UNAM at the Faculty of veterinary medicine and animal husbandry.[2]
The Mexican Creole hairless pig, known as cerdo pelón in Spanish, is small with a grey/black color and no hair. It has a narrow snout and long head.[3] The cerdo pelón has been used in traditional Yucatán cuisine for dishes like Cochinita pibil[4] and "Cabeza de cochino."[5]
The Mexican Creole hairless pig is now considered endangered.[6] It is threatened by the popularity of and crossbreeding with industrial breeds like the Large White pig and Duroc pig.[5] A similar breed to the cerdo pelón, the Creole pig of Haiti, is now considered extinct.