Bibliography

http://www.thepigsite.com/articles/5068/10-surprising-facts-about-pigs/

The humble pig is far from 'boaring' - here at ThePigSite, weve compiled a list of ten things you may not
know about these remarkable animals.

Shut up, mum! Were already asleep!

(Photo credit: Matthias Hiekel)
1. Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers voices, and can recognize their own names by the time
theyre 2 weeks old. Sows have even been known to sing to their young whilst nursing!

Run, Pig, run!

(Photo credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
2. Think that pigs are slow and lumbering? As it turns out, theyre not at all! Adult pigs can run at speeds
of up to 11mph, or in other words, they can run a seven-minute mile. Could you do any better?

Whore you calling sweaty?

3. If youve ever suggested that someone was sweating like a pig, then youd be wrong. Pigs have
hardly any sweat glands, and one of the best ways for them to cool down is to wallow in all of that
glorious mud.

Pigs cant fly, but we can squeal!

4. A pig's squeal can be as loud as 115 decibels thats 3 decibels higher than the sound of a supersonic
airliner.

So, then I said to her

5. And when theyre not squealing, theyre talking. Pigs communicate constantly with each other, and
more than 20 different vocalisations have been identified; from wooing a mate to saying Im hungry!

Go on, come closer. I promise I wont hurt you

 6. And when theyre not either squealing or talking, pigs will eat almost anything including human
bones. In 2012, a farmer in Oregon, America, was eaten by his pigs after having a heart attack and falling
into their enclosure. By the time a concerned relative came looking for him, only his dentures were left.

Roll over, Susan! Im trying to catch that Frisbee

7. They may be indiscriminate eaters, but pigs are also highly intelligent and incredibly social animals.
When kept in a group they will snuggle close to one another, and prefer to sleep nose-to-nose. Studies
have also shown that, much like humans, they dream.

Me? Im not a pig. Im a night light!

8. And dreaming isnt the only way in which pigs are similar to humans their genetic makeup is also
very close to our own. Because of this, stem cells from pigs are being used by scientists to research cures
for human diseases. To track the cells once theyve been injected, Chinese geneticists have crossed a pig
with a jellyfish, producing piglets whose tongues and trotters glow fluorescent green in UV light.

No, thats it, Im outta here!

9. Aside from their life-saving abilities, the pig is also associated with fertility and virility in China. This
has led to statues of pigs being displayed prominently in the bedrooms of Chinese couples who are
trying to have children.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming

10. And finally, weve all seen pigs wallowing in the mud, but how about swimming in a crystal clear sea?
On the uninhabited Bahaman Island of Big Major Cay, thats exactly what they do. A population of wild
aquatic swine rules the island, and many have taken to swimming out to the boats offshore, in the hope
of being rewarded with a tasty snack.