Babirusa

Babirusa
A male North Sulawesi babirusa; only the adult males possess the distinctive tusks.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Subfamily: Babyrousinae
Thenius, 1970
Genus: Babyrousa
Perry, 1811
Type species
Babyrousa quadricornua [1]
Perry, 1811
Species

3–4, See text.

The babirusas, also called deer-pigs (Indonesian: babi rusa[2]), are a genus, Babyrousa, in the swine family found in the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru.[3] All members of this genus were considered part of a single species until 2002, the babirusa, B. babyrussa, but following that was split into several species. This scientific name is restricted to the Buru babirusa from Buru and Sula, whereas the best-known species, the North Sulawesi babirusa, is named B. celebensis.[4] The males have prominent upwards incurving canine tusks, which pierce the flesh in the snout.[5]

All species of babirusa are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[6]

  1. ^ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ Skeat, Walter W. (1901). A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Clarendon Press. p. 35. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. ^ Grubb, P. (2005). "Order Artiodactyla". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 637. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ Meijaard, E., & C. Groves. (2002). Proposal for taxonomic changes within the genus Babyrousa. Asian Wild Pig News 2 (1), 9–10.
  5. ^ "Babyrousa babyrussa". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference RedList2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).