North Sulawesi Babirusa

distribution

Distribution: Northern peninsula of Sulawesi, at least as far west as Bumbulan and including Lembeh Isl.

Order Artiodactyla

materials_examined

Type Locality: Indonesia, " Lembeh b. Celebes " (N Sulawesi, Lembeh Isl).

Order Artiodactyla

activity

Activity patterns. Based on observations of captive animals, B. celebensis appears to be mostly diurnal. These animals slept at night, which is consistent with the general lack of activity at night recorded in North Sulawesi. About an hour before sunrise at 06: 00 h, individuals began to wake up and move about. Voiding of fecal material and urine occurs at this time, and the animals appeared to prefer to defecate under branches and fallen tree trunks. Foraging extended throughout the day, but occupied a larger proportion of the time in the morning. From about mid-morning onwards an increasing proportion of the time was taken up with non-foraging activities. The animals were either wallowing or lying down. Both in the wild and in captivity, males have been observed to wallow more often than females.

Suidae

biology_ecology

Habitat. B. celebensis inhabits tropical rainforest. Whereas previously the animal had been reported to occur in low-lying areas near coasts, recent anecdotal and survey reports indicate that the species is now confined mostly to the interior, on higher and less accessible ground. Although often associated with swamp and riverine areas, there is still insufficient data to be conclusive on the aquatic affinities of the species. The species frequently uses mineral salt licks.

Suidae