Babirusa
| Babirusa | |
|---|---|
| A male North Sulawesi babirusa; only the adult males possess the distinctive tusks. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Suidae |
| Subfamily: | Babyrousinae Thenius, 1970 |
| Genus: | Babyrousa Perry, 1811 |
| Type species | |
| Babyrousa quadricornua Perry, 1811
| |
| Species | |
|
3–4, See text. | |
Babirusas, also called deer-pigs (Indonesian: babi rusa), are a genus, Babyrousa, in the swine family found in the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. Previously all members of this genus were considered part of a single species, B. babyrussa, but in 2002 they were split into several species. The Buru babirusa is now restricted to animals from Buru and Sula, whereas the best-known species, the North Sulawesi babirusa, is named B. celebensis. The males have prominent upwards incurving canine tusks, which pierce the flesh in the snout.
All species of babirusa are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).