36 Weird Facts About Pigs You Didn’t Know
Do you think you know pigs? Think again. These intelligent creatures have lives filled with surprises that go far beyond their reputation as simple farm animals.
Did you know pigs can recognize themselves in mirrors—a cognitive ability shared by only a few species? Or that they dream just like humans do? While most people see pigs as just bacon and pork chops.
These animals possess extraordinary capabilities, from sharp memory to unique physical adaptations, that might forever change how you view them.
Pigs are far more complex than most give them credit for.
Get ready to have your assumptions challenged as we reveal 36 weird and wonderful facts about pigs that will make you see these animals in an entirely new light.
Surprising Pig Facts That Will Change Your Perception
Physical Characteristics
1. Pigs Don’t Sweat
Contrary to the saying “sweating like a pig,” pigs actually can’t sweat! They have very few sweat glands, which is why they cool off by rolling in mud or water. This mud bath helps control their body temperature and protects their skin from sunburn.
2. Their Teeth Never Stop Growing
Pig tusks (which are actually extended canine teeth) continue to grow throughout their entire lives. Wild pigs use these tusks for defense and finding food. On some farm pigs, these teeth are trimmed to prevent injury.
3. A Pig’s Sense of Smell Outperforms Tracking Dogs
Pigs have an incredible sense of smell that’s even better than bloodhounds in some ways. Their noses contain about 1,100 active scent receptors. In parts of Europe, they’re trained to find truffles, a valuable type of fungus that grows underground.
4. They Have a Full Range of Color Vision
Unlike many mammals, pigs can see the full color spectrum similar to humans. They don’t just see in black and white, which helps them find different foods in their natural habitat.
5. Their Skin Can Get Sunburned
Pig skin is very similar to human skin in many ways. They lack thick fur and can get sunburned just like people do. This is another reason why pigs enjoy mud baths – the mud acts as a natural sunscreen.
6. Pigs Have Four Toes on Each Foot
Each pig foot has four toes, with an unusual arrangement. The two middle toes bear most of their weight when walking, while the outer toes mainly help with balance, especially on soft or uneven ground.
Intelligence and Cognition
7. Smarter Than Dogs and Toddlers
Studies show that pigs have the intelligence level of a 3-year-old child. They can learn their names within just a few weeks of birth and will come when called. They can also learn to follow complex commands and solve intricate problems.
8. They Can Use Tools
Researchers have observed pigs using sticks as tools to dig in the ground for food. They can figure out how to move objects to reach goals and use different strategies when faced with challenges, showing remarkable problem-solving skills.
9. Pigs Have Excellent Memory
These animals can remember specific people and places for years. They can recall past experiences, remember where food is stored, and even learn to open latches and gates with their snouts after being shown just a few times.
10. They Can Play Video Games
In scientific studies, pigs have learned to play simple video games with joysticks, using their snouts to control the cursor on the screen. They can understand the connection between their movements and what happens on the screen, showing advanced cognitive abilities.
11. Pigs Can Feel Optimism and Pessimism
Research has shown that pigs can have outlook biases similar to humans. When living in good conditions, they tend to be more optimistic, while pigs in poor environments show signs of pessimism when presented with new situations or challenges.
12. They Can Be Trained to Do Tricks
Pigs can learn complex tricks just like dogs. They can learn to sit, fetch, come when called, and even perform more complicated routines with proper training and motivation.
Social Behavior
13. They Form Complex Social Groups
Pigs create structured social communities with specific hierarchies. They recognize and remember up to 30 other pigs individually, forming bonds with preferred companions. Within these groups, they establish clear social rules and relationships.
14. Pigs Communicate Using Over 20 Different Sounds
Pigs have a complex vocal language with more than 20 different sounds that convey different meanings. These range from short grunts to extended squeals, each with specific purposes like warning of danger, expressing contentment, or calling to piglets.
15. Mother Pigs Sing to Their Babies
Female pigs “sing” to their offspring during nursing. They make a special rhythmic grunting sound that helps piglets know it’s feeding time. Each mother has her own unique nursing song that her piglets recognize.
16. They Sleep Nose-to-Nose With Friends
Pigs are highly social and often sleep huddled together with their closest companions. They commonly sleep nose-to-nose with their friends, maintaining physical contact throughout the night, which strengthens their social bonds.
17. Pigs Mourn Their Dead
When a pig in a social group dies, the other pigs show behaviors that resemble mourning. They may become quiet, lose interest in food, or gather around the deceased pig. This suggests they understand death and experience emotional responses to losing companions.
18. A Group of Pigs is Called a “Sounder”
When pigs live together in the wild, the group is known as a “sounder.” These groups typically consist of several females and their young, while adult males (boars) may live alone or in small bachelor groups.
Unusual Abilities
19. They Can Swim Naturally
Pigs are born swimmers! Despite their stocky build, they can swim very well. Wild pigs often swim across rivers and lakes to find food or escape predators. Some places even have “pig beaches” where domestic pigs swim in the ocean.
20. Pigs Have Unique, Identifiable Voices
Each pig has a distinct voice that other pigs can recognize, similar to how humans recognize each other’s voices. Their grunts and squeals have unique tonal qualities that serve as a vocal fingerprint.
21. They Can Learn Their Reflection
Pigs are among the few animals that can recognize themselves in mirrors. In scientific tests, they’ve shown self-awareness by understanding that the reflection is themselves, not another pig – a skill shared only with apes, dolphins, elephants, and magpies.
22. Pigs Dream Like Humans
When pigs sleep, they experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, just like humans. During this phase, you can see their eyes moving and sometimes their legs twitching, indicating they’re dreaming. Their brain patterns during sleep are remarkably similar to human sleep patterns.
23. They Can Detect Underground Water
Farmers have long known that pigs have an unusual ability to locate underground water sources. In some rural communities, pigs have been used to find spots to dig wells when more modern methods weren’t available.
24. Pigs Have an Incredible Sense of Direction
These animals possess a remarkable ability to find their way home, even from miles away. They use environmental cues, smells, and possibly magnetic fields to orient themselves.
25. Pigs are Natural Snorers
Just like some humans, pigs snore loudly when they sleep. This snoring happens for similar reasons as human snoring – relaxed tissues in their airways vibrate as they breathe during deep sleep.
Daily Life and Habits
26. Pigs are Very Clean Animals
Despite their reputation, pigs are naturally clean animals. When given enough space, they create separate areas for sleeping, eating, and waste. They avoid soiling their living spaces and prefer to keep clean quarters.
27. A Pig’s Nose is a Powerful Tool
Their distinctive snouts aren’t just for smelling – pigs use these strong, flexible noses to “root” or dig in soil. This rooting behavior helps them find food underground like roots, tubers, and insects.
28. They Sleep Up to 14 Hours Daily
Pigs love their rest time and can sleep for up to 14 hours per day. They typically take multiple naps throughout the day rather than one long sleep period, similar to many young children.
29. Pigs Have Unique Taste Preferences
These animals have specialized taste buds that can detect flavors humans cannot. They have a particular fondness for sweet foods and can discriminate between different tastes with remarkable precision.
30. They are True Omnivores
Unlike many farm animals, pigs are genuine omnivores. They naturally eat a varied diet including plants, roots, small animals, eggs, and even carrion. This flexibility in diet helped them survive in many different environments.
31. Pigs Can Be House Pets
Certain pig breeds, particularly Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs and other miniature varieties, are kept as household pets. They can be litter-trained, learn commands, and form strong bonds with their human families.
Wild and Domestic Pig Differences
32. Wild Pigs Grow Hair Like Bristles
While farm pigs often have sparse hair, wild pigs develop coarse, thick bristles that protect them from scratches in dense underbrush. These bristles can be quite stiff and were historically used to make brushes before synthetic materials became common.
33. They Return to a Wild State Quickly
Domestic pigs that escape farms can transform back to a more wild state within just a few months. Their bodies change shape, they grow thicker coats, and their behavior shifts to match their wild cousins, showing how quickly their natural instincts return.
34. Wild Pigs Can Run Up to 25 MPH
Despite their bulky appearance, wild pigs can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour in short bursts. This helps them escape from predators in their natural habitat. Domestic pigs are typically slower due to selective breeding for meat production.
35. Their Tusks Function Like Built-in Tools
Wild pigs use their tusks as multipurpose tools – for defense, digging up roots, removing bark from trees, and creating sleeping nests. These tusks can grow up to several inches long and curve outward from their mouths.
36. Wild Pig Babies Have Striped Coats
Newborn wild piglets have distinctive striped patterns on their coats that help camouflage them from predators. These stripes fade as they grow older. Most domestic piglets lack this camouflage pattern due to generations of selective breeding.
Wrapping It Up!
Pigs are remarkable creatures that deserve more recognition for their intelligence and unique traits.
From their problem-solving abilities to complex social lives, these animals surprise researchers and animal lovers alike.
The next time you encounter a pig, remember that you’re meeting an animal with the cognitive abilities of a 3-year-old child, exceptional memory, and distinctive personality.
These creatures can feel emotions, form lasting bonds, and even play video games!
By understanding these often misunderstood animals better, we gain a greater appreciation for the diverse and complex world of animal intelligence.
Pigs remind us that the animal kingdom is full of surprises—and that we should never judge a species by common assumptions. What other animals might we be underestimating?
