Mammals Active during the day

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

iNaturalist Wikipedia

With their iconic tusks and vertical tails, Common Warthogs are the spirited 'architects' of the African savanna. These resilient survivors are famous for their knee-grazing antics and remarkable social bonds.

20 Sightings

2 Habitats

Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 0.9 to 1.5 m (3.0 to 4.9 ft); Weight: 45 to 150 kg (100 to 330 lbs)

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Colors

Sparse grey to blackish bristles over slate-grey skin; dark mane along the spine; whitish cheek whiskers

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Key Features

Two pairs of distinct facial warts (larger in males)
Large, upward-curving ivory tusks
Runs with tail held vertically like an antenna
Flat-topped head with a long, powerful snout

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM, 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Omnivorous grazers that primarily eat short grasses, but will use their snouts to dig for roots, bulbs, and tubers, especially during the dry season.

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Habitat Open savannas, grasslands, and woodland edges; they require access to water and avoid thick forests and deserts.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Common Warthog Live?

The Common Warthog is a quintessential African species, native to the vast landscapes of sub-Saharan Africa. Their range is extensive, stretching from the semi-arid Sahel region in the north, through the iconic grasslands of East Africa in countries like Kenya and Tanzania, and down into the southern reaches of South Africa and Namibia. While they are absent from the dense, humid rainforests of Central Africa and the most extreme desert environments, they are a common sight across almost every other open habitat on the continent.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

10 Countries

16.5M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

ZA South Africa KE Kenya TZ Tanzania NA Namibia BW Botswana ZW Zimbabwe ET Ethiopia UG Uganda SN Senegal ZM Zambia

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

View on iNaturalist open_in_new

Recorded on EverydayEarth

location_on uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal

13 sightings

location_on Lephalale Local Municipality, Limpopo

7 sightings

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Behavior

Common Warthogs are the only pigs adapted for grazing in savanna habitats. They are highly social and usually live in family groups known as 'sounders,' which typically consist of several females and their young. Mature males tend to live solitary lives, only joining sounders during the breeding season. Unlike many other African mammals that remain active at night, warthogs are strictly diurnal, retreating into underground burrows—often stolen from aardvarks—to sleep and avoid nocturnal predators like lions and hyenas.

One of their most endearing and unique behaviors is 'knee-walking.' Because they have relatively short necks and long legs, they have evolved calloused pads on their wrists that allow them to shuffle along on their front knees while grazing or digging for roots. They are also known for their symbiotic relationships; it is not uncommon to see a warthog standing perfectly still while a mongoose or oxpecker grooms its skin to remove ticks and parasites.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

To capture the best footage of Common Warthogs, mounting your camera at a low 'knee-high' angle is essential. Aim for a height of about 12 to 18 inches (30–45 cm) off the ground. This low perspective is perfect for documenting their unique knee-grazing behavior and ensures you get a clear look at their facial features and tusks. Because they are strictly diurnal, you can save battery and storage space by setting your camera to be active only during daylight hours, though dawn and dusk offer the most dramatic lighting for their coarse manes.

Focus your camera placement on high-traffic areas such as well-worn game trails leading to water holes or near active burrows. Warthogs are frequent bathers and love mud wallows to cool down and protect their skin from insects; a camera angled toward a mud hole is almost guaranteed to capture interesting social behavior. If you are in a backyard or ranch setting, look for areas of disturbed soil or 'rooting' patches where they have been digging for tubers. Warthogs are fast and can be skittish, so a camera with a trigger speed of 0.3 seconds or faster is recommended to catch them mid-trot.

During the dry season, warthogs become very predictable as they visit water sources daily. This is the best time to capture high-quality video clips of sounders interacting. If your camera is mounted on a post or a thin tree, ensure it is extremely secure; warthogs are surprisingly strong and often use low-hanging objects as scratching posts, which can easily knock a camera out of alignment. Using a protective security housing or 'bear box' is a wise investment to keep the hardware safe from curious snouts and tusks.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Common Warthog.

Desert Warthog

Found only in the Horn of Africa; lacks incisor teeth and has distinctively backward-curved ear tips.

Bushpig

Much shaggier with pointed, tufted ears and lacks the large facial warts; primarily active at night.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common Warthogs are strictly diurnal, meaning they are active only during the day. They are most frequently seen in the early morning and late afternoon, retreating to underground burrows as soon as the sun sets to avoid predators.

In their native range, the best way to attract warthogs is to provide a water source or a mud wallow. They are also drawn to areas with short, green grass or ground where they can dig for roots. Avoid using food bait in areas with predators; instead, focus on their natural water and grooming needs.

They are primarily grazers that eat short grasses. However, they are highly adaptable and use their powerful snouts and tusks to dig for underground treats like bulbs, tubers, and roots, especially during the dry season when grass is scarce.

In parts of Southern and East Africa, warthogs can become quite habituated to humans and are frequently found on golf courses, large garden estates, and suburban fringes where they can find manicured lawns to graze on.

The Common Warthog is slightly larger and has a more functional set of incisor teeth. The easiest way to tell them apart is the ears; the Desert Warthog has ears that are curled back at the tips, whereas the Common Warthog's ears are more upright.

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