suines

Suines is an informal term used to refer to the members of the suborder Suina, a group within the order Artiodactyla that includes two living families: Suidae (pigs and boars) and Tayassuidae (peccaries). In zoological usage, suines are treated as a clade sharing certain anatomical features and ecological roles, though formal classifications may emphasize family-level distinctions.

Physically, suines are typically robust, with short legs and a compact body. They possess cloven hooves and a protrusible snout adapted for rooting in soil. Their dentition is suited to an omnivorous diet that can include roots, fruits, seeds, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. The canines are often tusk-like and used for defense and foraging.

Geographically, suines are widely distributed. Pigs and boars (Suidae) have a broad Eurasian and African range and have been domesticated in many regions. Peccaries (Tayassuidae) are native to the Americas. The two groups occupy diverse habitats, from forests and grasslands to wetlands.

Ecology and behavior: most suines are social animals that live in groups of varying sizes. They tend to have flexible foraging strategies and can adapt to human-altered landscapes, though they may become pests in some agricultural systems. Reproduction is generally rapid, and young are often precocious.

Humans have long interacted with suines. Domestication of the wild boar gave rise to domestic pigs, a major source of meat and byproducts. Conservation concerns affect peccaries in several regions, where habitat loss and hunting threaten some species. In ecosystems, suines play important roles as seed dispersers and as prey for larger carnivores.