Pig

Pigs are round, friendly farm animals with a big flat nose called a snout, small bright eyes, and a curly little tail. People have kept pigs on farms for thousands of years, and pigs are found in almost every country in the world.

Long ago, pigs came from a wild woodland animal called the wild boar. Over many, many years people raised them on farms, and the farm pigs we know today became calmer, rounder, and happy to live close to people.

Pigs use their strong snout like a helpful tool. They push it into the soft ground to dig for roots, seeds, and other tasty snacks, which is called rooting. Pigs are omnivores, so they eat both plants and small creatures, and they enjoy fruit, grains, leaves, and the occasional wriggly insect.

Baby pigs are called piglets, and a mother pig, called a sow, can have a whole litter of them at once, often around ten little piglets. The piglets snuggle up together to stay warm and drink their mother's milk, and they love to run and play in the farmyard.

Pigs are among the cleverest of all farm animals, about as smart as dogs. They can remember things for a long time, solve little puzzles, and recognise their farmer and each other. Scientists have even taught some pigs to play simple games using their snouts.

Because pigs cannot sweat much to cool down, they love to roll in cool, wet mud on a hot day. The mud keeps their skin cool and comfortable and shields it from the sun, a bit like a natural sunscreen. A muddy pig is usually a very happy pig.