Editing Wild boar (section)

== Social behaviour and life cycle ==
Boars are typically social animals, living in [[Matriarchy|female-dominated]] sounders consisting of barren sows and mothers with young led by an old matriarch. Male boars leave their sounder at the age of 8–15 months, while females either remain with their mothers or establish new territories nearby. Subadult males may live in loosely knit groups, while adult and elderly males tend to be solitary outside the breeding season.<ref name="marsan75">{{Harvnb|Marsan|Mattioli|2013|pp=75–76}}</ref>{{efn|It is from the male boar's solitary habits that the species gets its name in numerous [[Romance language]]s. Although the [[Latin language|Latin]] word for 'boar' was {{lang|la|aper}}, the [[French language|French]] {{lang|fr|sanglier}} and [[Italian language|Italian]] {{lang|it|cinghiale}} derive from {{lang|la|singularis porcus}}, which is Latin for 'solitary pig'.<ref name="scheggi20">{{Harvnb|Scheggi|1999|pp=20–22}}</ref>}}
[[File:Wildschweinbache säugt ihre Jungen.JPG|thumb|Central European wild boar (''S. s. scrofa'') piglets suckling]]
The {{visible anchor|breeding|Breeding}} period in most areas lasts from November to January, though most mating only lasts a month and a half. Prior to mating, the males develop their subcutaneous armour in preparation for confronting rivals. The [[testicles]] double in size and the glands secrete a foamy yellowish liquid. Once ready to reproduce, males travel long distances in search of a sounder of sows, eating little on the way. Once a sounder has been located, the male drives off all young animals and persistently chases the sows. At this point, the male fiercely fights potential rivals.<ref name=heptner1988 /> A single male can mate with 5–10 sows.<ref name=baskin2003 /> By the end of the rut, males are often badly mauled and have lost 20% of their body weight,<ref name=heptner1988 /> with bite-induced injuries to the penis being common.<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Weiler |first1 = Ulrike |display-authors=etal |year = 2016 |title = Penile Injuries in Wild and Domestic Pigs |journal = Animals |volume = 6 |issue = 4 |page = 25 |doi = 10.3390/ani6040025 |pmid = 27023619 |pmc = 4846825 |doi-access = free }}</ref> The [[gestation period]] varies according to the age of the expecting mother. For first-time breeders, it lasts 114–130 days, while it lasts 133–140 days in older sows. Farrowing occurs between March and May, with litter sizes depending on the age and nutrition of the mother. The average litter consists of 4–6 piglets, with the maximum being 10–12.<ref name=heptner1988 />{{efn|Thirteen has been observed in a captive specimen.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eight little piggies went a-marching|url=https://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/news/eight-little-piggies-went-a-marching|publisher=Whipsnade Zoo|access-date=22 May 2015|archive-date=14 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814034951/https://www.zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/news/eight-little-piggies-went-a-marching|url-status=live}}</ref>}} The piglets are [[Whelping|whelped]] in a nest constructed from twigs, grasses and leaves. Should the mother die prematurely, the piglets are adopted by the other sows in the sounder.<ref name="marsan83">{{Harvnb|Marsan|Mattioli|2013|pp=83–86}}</ref>

[[File:Wild_boar_standing_in_grass_-_DPLA_-_e1926c3d4c4f242801a5836b44eca6ac.jpg|thumb|Piglet standing in grass. All wild boar piglets are dark brown with pale longitudinal stripes. After three to four months, these stripes disappear completely.]]
Newborn piglets weigh around 600–1,000 grams, lacking underfur and bearing a single milk incisor and canine on each half of the jaw.<ref name=heptner1988 /> There is intense competition between the piglets over the most milk-rich nipples, as the best-fed young grow faster and have stronger constitutions.<ref name="marsan83" /> The piglets do not leave the lair for their first week of life. Should the mother be absent, the piglets lie closely pressed to each other. By two weeks of age, the piglets begin accompanying their mother on her journeys. Should danger be detected, the piglets take cover or stand immobile, relying on their camouflage to keep them hidden. The neonatal coat fades after three months, with adult colouration being attained at eight months. Although the [[lactation]] period lasts 2.5–3.5 months, the piglets begin displaying adult feeding behaviours at the age of 2–3 weeks. The [[Permanent teeth|permanent dentition]] is fully formed by 1–2 years. With the exception of the canines in males, the teeth stop growing during the middle of the fourth year. The canines in old males continue to grow throughout their lives, curving strongly as they age. Sows attain [[sexual maturity]] at the age of one year, with males attaining it a year later. However, [[estrus]] usually first occurs after two years in sows, while males begin participating in the rut after 4–5 years, as they are not permitted to mate by the older males.<ref name=heptner1988 /> The maximum lifespan in the wild is 10–14 years, though few specimens survive past 4–5 years.<ref name="marsan87">{{Harvnb|Marsan|Mattioli|2013|pp=87–90}}</ref> Boars in captivity have lived for 20 years.<ref name=baskin2003 />
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