In the News. Feral Hogs (Sus scrofa) in Texas. From the Field. What is in a name? 11/15/2013

Transcription

1 Feral Hogs (Sus scrofa) in Texas In the News Mark Tyson, M.S. Extension Associate Texas A&M AgriLife Extension From the Field What is in a name? Wild Boar Wild Hog Wild Pig Feral Pig Feral Hog Razorback Russian wild boar Are there any other names you have come across? Video Courtesy of Blake Alldredge and Jared Laing 1

2 Why use the term Wild Pig? What do you think? Eurasian wild boar is an Old World species Domesticated 8 to 10,000+ years ago Brought to the New World Three wild Sus scrofa types = Wild Pig Eurasian Wild Boar Eurasian Wild Boar Old World New World Hybrids Domestic Pig Feral Domestic Pig What is the average litter size of wild pigs? Four to Six Eight to Ten More than you can count J. Mayer- SRNL In less than two years: 42 wild pigs can be traced back to 1 sow 20 th mth. 2 nd Litter Sows Farrow Wild Pig Ecology Assumptions: Perfect World Scenario Sow A will be bred 2 months after farrowing Gilts 14 will th breed mth. 1at st Litter 6 months Sows of Farrow age 4 months gestation 100% Survival Sow A: 2 nd Litter 10 mth. Sow A Sow A: 3 rd Litter 16 mth. Sow A: 1 st Litter 4 mth. 2

3 Origin of the Family Suidae Introduction of Swine in the U.S. New World Species? Old World Species? Early U.S. Introductions: Introduced with the settlement of Hawaii early as A.D. Introduced to the U.S. mainland in 1539 by Hernando de Soto Photos: EPA.gov Introduction of Swine in Texas Drove across the Rio Grande by Spanish colonists in LaSalle brought swine to the Texas coast in Domestic swine allowed to range freely in east, central and south Texas from the 1820s to the 1950s. European Wild Boar in Texas 1933: 11 escaped or were released in Aransas County. 1939: were released in Calhoun County. Numerous releases since that time 3

4 Three Types: Feral domestic swine Eurasian wild boar Hybrids of the two Free Ranging Swine States, 475 Counties States, 1014 Counties States, 1201 Counties - Southwestern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) Wild Pig Expansion U.S. Distribution U.S. Distribution 4

5 U.S. Distribution National Feral Swine Mapping System, USDA APHIS Texas Distribution SCWDS 1982 As of 2012, 99% of Texas counties have wild pigs Noble.org Southwestern Cooperative Wildlife Diseas Study (SCWDS SCWDS SCWDS Want to Escape Wild Pigs in Texas? Move to El Paso County Adult Physical Traits Males: Total Length: 5ft 3in Weight: Ranges from 75 to 450 lbs.; average 150 lbs. Body weight increases until age 5, then decreases with age Coat: Soild, Spotted or Banded 5

6 Adult Physical Traits Females: Total Length: 4ft 10in Body length growth terminates at 3 to 5 years of age. Weight: Ranges from 80 to 300+ lbs.; average 110 lbs. Coat: Solid, Spotted or Banded Juvenile Physical Traits Coat: Soild, Striped or Banded Weight: 1 to 4 lb. at birth Reproductive Potential According to Dr. Billy Higginbotham: There are two kinds of landowners in Texas 1. Those that have wild pigs 2. Those that will Most abundant freeranging introduced ungulate in the United States Decker 1978 USDA.gov Reproduction: Sows Early sexual maturity for their body mass. 6 to 10 months of age Polyestrous- In heat every days if not bred 6

7 Reproduction: Sows Can have multiple litters per year Reproduction: Sows Adults produce larger litters than yearlings (Taylor et al. 1998) 4 to 6 piglets per litter Ability to reproduce said to be more than four times higher than native ungulates (Taylor et al. 1998) Texas Feral Hog Population Reproduction: Boars Sexual Maturity at 4 to 6 months of age Million Average: 2.6 Million Participate in breeding by 12 to 18 months of age Compete in male-male fighting for breeding rights 7

8 Reproduction: Boars Develop subcutaneous shoulder shield that can be 2 inches thick Eurasian wild boar Interbreeding Size matters, most breeding is done by larger and older males Domestic swine Can loose 20 to 25% of bodyweight during breeding season Hybrid of the two Influences on Breeding Season Regional photo-period Habitat Conditions Food Resources Precipitation Sows with access to quality forage had 20% more fetuses. (Barrett 1978) Two Seasonal Peaks (Winter & Early Summer) Can vary from year to year Will attempt to reproduce even when resources are limited Breeding Season 8

9 Sows create nests Piglets remain in the nest for 2 to 3 weeks Piglets are weaned at 3 to 4 months of age Farrowing Annual Survival Rates 60% in South Texas 86% in West Texas Juveniles & Males have lower survival Average lifespan 4-5 years Can live up to 8 years Can be a mixture of adults, family groups, sub-adults and piglets Studies have suggested a singular sow directs the sounder (Wilcox et al. 2004) Can vary from 2 to 50 individuals Sounder Dynamics Commonly femalebased family groups with up to 3 generations 79% of yearling females remained with sounder (Kaminski et al. 2005) All or nothing dispersal for females Sounder Dynamics 9

10 Females that do disperse form a new sounder with their sisters Males always disperse typically around 16 months of age Sounder Dynamics Inter-Specific Interactions Females and juveniles travel in groups. Males are typically solitary South Texas 1483 acres (Gabor et al. 1999) 890 acres (Ilse and Hellgren 1995) Central Texas 1485 acres (Schlichting et al.) East Texas 3905 acres for males and 1606 acres for females (Mersinger and Silvy 2007) West Texas 12,355 acres (Adkins and Harveson 2007) Home Range Opportunistic Generalists: Food availability Population density Habitat quality Season Climate Human activity Social structure Home Range 10

11 Dense Vegetation Habitat Use Varies seasonally Habitat Use Near Permanent Water Concentrate in areas of nut producing trees and agricultural crops Food availability is the primary driver Thermoregulation is the secondary driver Avoid arid landscapes Suitable Habitat in Texas 134 Million Acres 79% of Texas Areas receiving less than 20 inches of rainfall are not considered suitable Omnivorous Opportunistic feeders based on food availability Will eat anything that contains a calorie Dr. Billy Higginbotham Diet 11

12 Diet Diet Plants/Plant parts Mushrooms Invertebrates Mammals Birds Carrion Agricultural crops South Texas (Annual) 95% Vegetation (Ilse and Hellgren 1995) South Texas (Annual) 93% Vegetation (Taylor and Hellgren 1997) West Texas (Summer) 77% Vegetation (Adkins and Harveson 2006) Diet Sign: Tracks Rolling Plains (Seasonal) Spring: 60% Vegetation Summer: 49% Soft Mast Fall: Grain Crops & Invertebrates 61% Winter: 83% Vegetation (Lucia et al 1999) Campbell & Long White-tailed Deer Wild Pig 12

13 Sign: Scat Sign: Rubs Sign: Wallows Sign: Fences 13

14 Predation Reporting Feral Hogs Sows aggressively defend piglets Sounders practice group vigilance and defensiveness Mountain lions take adults Coyotes and Bobcats take juveniles The public and landowner reporting of feral hog sightings and/or signs of damage will help us locate areas of high activity and guide both management and educational efforts to reduce their impact to watersheds Landowner Report 14

15 Additional Resources edu 16 Publications How-to-Articles Feral Hog Manual Information on bacterial contaminants Additional Resources Feral Hogs Community of Practice 54 Articles Ask an Expert Videos 103 FAQs 4 Webinars Additional Resources Additional Resources Like us on Facebook: WFSCEXTENSION FeralHogCoP Subscribe to our YouTube Channel WFSCAgriLife 14 Feral Hog Mgmt. Videos 15

16 Additional Resources How Can We Help You? Watershed-Based Educational Trainings Educational Resources Site Visits for Landowners Primary Contacts Mark Tyson Extension Associate Southeast Texas (979) Jared Timmons Extension Associate South Central Texas (254) Dan Gaskins Extension Assistant North Central Texas (254) Provided through a Clean Water Act 319(h) non-point source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Project Funding 16

17 Questions? Mark Tyson Phone: (979)