Reproductive performance of the wild boar in a Mediterranean ecosystem under drought conditions

Abstract

The reproductive biology of the wild boar was analyzed during a period of drought in a Mediterranean area, Doñana National Park (Spain), during 1993 and 1994. Births were highly synchronized, most of them occuring between February and April. The average litter size for litters of about 1 week of age was 3.05 piglets per birth. This figure is below most reported for other populations of the species which are mostly intrauterine litters, hence without the effect of perinatal mortality. The percentage of breeding adult females was below 17%, much smaller than that found for most Mediterranean areas. These results stress the breeding decision of females, rather than the timing of reproduction or the size of litters, as the main adjustment of reproductive effort in the wild boar under drought conditions, which may be common in fluctuating Mediterranean climates.