The Cerdoli is a hybrid species that was born from the cross between a wild boar and a Vietnamese pig that was abandoned or released in the forest. This new species is a mixture of wild boar and Vietnamese pig in many aspects, from the physical, which combines characteristics of both, to certain behavioral traits.
Nevertheless, the appearance of Cerdoli is accompanied by a good controversy, because it is considered by many people as an invasive species. In this article from PlanèteAnimal, we tell you all about the origin of this species, we will give you the characteristics of Cerdoli and many other surprises!
Happy reading!
Origin
- Europe
- Spain
Origin of Cerdoli
Cerdoli is a species whose origin is rather controversial, and not because it is unknown. The controversy comes from the fact that it comes from the cross between a wild boar and a Vietnamese pig.
" But, where is the controversy? simply because Vietnamese pigs arrived in countries like Spain as imported animals, because they are a non-indigenous Asian species which, breeding with an endemic species, gave birth to a new species . The cerdoli is especially present in Spain, its name comes from the contraction of the word cerdo (pig) and Jabali (wild boar). In France, there is a hybrid between a pig (not necessarily Vietnamese) and the wild boar called the porcglier. Let&39;s go back, the cerdoli is therefore the result of the cross between a wild boar and a Vietnamese pig and, in certain Spanish regions, this hybrid has ended up becoming a real invasive species."
Furthermore, the most controversial in all of this is how the Vietnamese pigs ended up in these regions. Vietnamese pigs, whose crossings with wild boars gave birth to Cerdolia, were pets abandoned by guardians unaware of the real needs of these animals. This lack of commitment on the part of many people has given rise to the birth of this new species, which despite being curious and new, is rather problematic in the places where it lives.
Characteristics of Cerdoli
The Cerdoli has inherited different aspects from the parents. For example, its size is closer to that of the boar because, while a Vietnamese pig generally weighs between 40 and 50 kg, the weight of the boar oscillates between 70 and 90 kg, and the Cerdoli has a weight of around 80 kilos. . However, experts point out that its size is highly variable and it tends to be somewhat smaller, especially in height, than the boar.
It usually has a long and abundant coat, dark in color, although given the differences that exist between specimens, it is not surprising that some are almost completely hairless. At the level of the snout, there are also significant differences between specimens, in fact, there are Cerdolis with long and thin snouts, characteristic of the wild boar, and specimens with shorter snouts, like the Vietnamese pig.
Cerdolis are prolific animals in terms of reproduction, indeed, it is estimated that a female Cerdoli has an annual reproduction rate of 14 to 16 offspring. It's more like pig breeding than wild boar, whose litters, often only one per year, are 3 to 4 boars.
Cerdoli habitat
Cerdolí has appeared in more and more areas and regions of Spain, among which we find: Navarre, Community of Valencia, Aragon, Asturias, Castile and Leon or Madrid. In general, this species has emerged in areas where there are many wild boars.
Thus, the Cerdoli lives in the same type of habitat as the wild boar, but with certain differences. For example, there have been controversial episodes between the Cerdolis and the farmers because the Vietnamese pigs, being a domesticated species, are not afraid of humans. Thus, while wild boars avoid populations and plantations, Cerdolis do not hesitate to approach them, sometimes causing very significant damage.
Cerdoli food
The Cerdoli consumes all types of food, whether animal or vegetable, because it is an omnivorous animal. It consumes large amounts of food, much more than wild boar, which is one of the reasons it is considered an invasive species. Its greater consumption of resources therefore causes greater damage to its environment. What they feed on most are fruits, such as chestnuts or acorns, cereals and grains, roots and tubers, and mushrooms or fruits.As for its consumption of animal matter, the Cerdolis feed mainly on snails, snakes, insects as well as the carrion of certain small mammals.
In addition, it is not uncommon to see Porcelis resort to crops and plantations to obtain their food, which generates many conflicts between these animals, which only seek the resources they need to subsist, and the farmers, who see their harvests ruined after hard and painful work.
Current situation of Cerdoli in Spain
The Cerdoli is unfortunately an invasive species in Spain, which has proliferated in recent times due to its high reproductive rate, with more than 12 offspring per year per pair. This has led to an overpopulation of wild boars, wild pigs and cerdolis. This whole situation has led to the implementation of various measures. Some of them, the most respectful and ecological, have proposed as a solution the adoption of Cerdolis, a complex thing given its wild nature, or to radically prohibit the marketing of Vietnamese pigs to avoid greater abandonment of these poor animals. .
In addition to the above measures, it should be mentioned that in several places where the species is considered conflictive, they have come to allow beatings against them, the Vietnamese pig and wild boars, which involves death many specimens, which only lived to survive as best they could. Hunters also have the right to hunt them, as is the case in Navarre, where they have been given the green light to shoot them.
Finally, it should be noted that the authorities say that the priority is to avoid the abandonment of more domestic specimens of Vietnamese pigs, praying to the guardians who find themselves unable to s take care of it, they resort to wildlife protection and recovery centers to avoid these problems with such a tragic outcome.
Photos of Cerdoli
