Babyrousa babyrussa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Suidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 248-291 : 276

2.

Moluccan Babirusa

Babyrousa babyrussa

French: Babiroussa des Moluques / German: Molukken-Hirscheber / Spanish: Babirusa de Molucas

Taxonomy. Sus babyrussa Linnaeus, 1758 ,

“Borneo” (= Buru Island, Indonesia).

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Moluccas Archipelago, in Sula ls (Mangole & Taliabu) and Buru.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 85-110 cm, tail 20-32 cm, shoulder height 65-80 cm; weight 43-100 kg. B. babyrussa is a relatively small species, with long, thick body hair and well-developed tail tuft. The upper canines of males are short and slender and cross the lower caninesin lateral view. The upper canines tend to diverge or be subparallel, but they may be weakly convergent. Based on tooth measurements, B. babyrussa is similar to B. bolabatuensis , a presumably extinct form described from subfossil remains retrieved from various sites in the south-western peninsula of Sulawesi.

Habitat. Buru’s natural vegetation is largely tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforest, with tropical montane rainforest occurring above 800 m above sea level; the only known exception to this pattern is a complex patchwork of monsoon forest, gallery forest, and savanna in the north and north-east section of the island, the result of repeated anthropogenic burnings. No surveys have been done on the habitat use of babirusas on Buru Island, but the local Rana people report that babirusas are most often found in rocky habitat in hilly areas and mountains.

Food and Feeding. [Local people on Buru report that babirusas primarily feed on leaves, roots, and fruits in the forest, but never enter people’s gardens to feed on crops, unlike the other pig species on Buru, which causes considerable damage to crops. The species is also said to feed along the shoreline when the tide is out.

Breeding. Nothing is known about the breeding behavior ofthis species, but it is likely to be similar to other Babyrousa spp.

Activity patterns. On Buru, B. babyrussa is mostly seen during the morning and late afternoons, but rarely around midday.

Movements, Home ma@ nnd Social organintion. On Buru, babirusas are reported to be mostlv solitary or may occasionally be encountered in small groups. When in a group they regularlv emit a long and high pitched sound described as “suirii....suuuuuiiiriiii. "

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The speciesis reported to be extinct on Sanana Island (formerly Xulla Besi). Some workers seem to believe babirusas were introduced to these islands, though if this is true these same workers provide no indication of their likely place of origin. Unfortunately, the systematic relationships of babirusas from adjacent eastern and south-eastern parts of Sulawesi remain unknown, so it is also not possible to assess their presumed or potential close affinities to B. babyrussa . During extensive survey efforts on Buru in 1995, no direct evidence of babirusas was found, although a pair of pig mandibles found inland from Fogi, in logged forest at an elevation of 670 m, indicated that the species had been recently hunted. Village interviews in 1997 about the species’ presence suggested that on Buru its range had become fragmented by the 1990s,although locally the animals were still relatively common. The species reportedly was not uncommon on the slopes of Gunung Kepala Mada, the highest mountain on Buru. No surveys have been conducted since, however, and the present status is unclear. The people of Buru differentiate babirusas from other suid species, though it is presently unclear whether any other suids occurring on Buru are of S. celebensis or feral S. scrofa origin, nor whether any such populations (assuming they exist) are naturally occurring or introduced forms.With half the people of Buru being Christian and therefore willing to eat pork, hunting pressure on pigs is likely to be high. The Rana people of Buru frequently hunt babirusas with dogs and snares. Although the northern portions of Buru island have been degraded by repeated burning and the coastal lowlands have been cleared, the remaining forest forms two large, contiguous blocks.

Bibliography. Deninger (1909), Groves (1980), Macdonald et al. (2008), Meijaard & Groves (2002a, 2002b), Sody (1949), Tomie & Persulessy (1996), Verbelen (2003).

Figures

On following pages 2 Moluccan Babırusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) 3 Tog an Babırusa (Babyrousa rogeanensıs) 4 Common Warthog (Phacochoorus alncanus) 5 Desert Warthog (Phacochoerus aethıopıcus) 6 Forest Hog (Hylochoerus maınenzhagenı) Bushpıg (Pommochoeıus Iarvalusl 8 Red Rıver Hog (Poramochoerus porcas)

Distribution. Moluccas Archipelago, in Sula ls (Mangole & Taliabu) and Buru.