They dig in the ground and bathe in mud!

Are pigs dirty, or what?  Let’s find out!

Pigs are very smart animals!  They are warm-climate creatures, but do not have the ability to sweat or pant like many other animals.  Yet, pigs know just how to stay cool and bug-free in hot weather—an energetic roll in some muddy water and the pig is refreshed, and covered in a natural sun and bug block of mud!  How clever!  In cold weather, pigs usually do not like to be muddy and dirty, and will walk far around mud holes and rain puddles.      

Pigs have poor eyesight, but are born with very powerful snouts to help them find food.  First, these thrifty animals use their strong sense of smell to search for food above—and—underground!  Then, pigs use their hard-rimmed noses to “root” or dig up the earth in search of plant roots, bugs, and minerals to eat.  Pigs are so good at searching for food underground that in France they are trained to search for exotic mushrooms growing under tree roots.

Pigs live in herds and maintain strong social bonds with their family members and babies.  They develop a hierarchy or “chain of command” within the herd, and form cliques or favorite subgroups of members.  These smaller groups of pigs eat, sleep, play, explore, and roam together.  Pigs warn and protect each other, especially their babies, from danger.