Comparative anatomy, physiology and ecology of pregnancy and lactation in wild pigs: a review.

Abstract

The nutritional requirements of animals during pregnancy and lactation differ from the requirements of the growing animal, or the non-pregnant adult, as revealed by studies of the domestic species. However, relatively little information has been published to indicate the comparable requirements for pregnancy and lactation of most animals in the wild. Similarly, there is as yet suprisingly little information available from the study of animals in zoological collections. Analyses of the comparative anatomical and physiological data can contribute to our understanding of the problem. Similarly, behavioural and other data may help to indicate some aspects of the relationship between the pregnant or lactating animal and its environment.