Invasion and spatial distribution of wild pigs (Sus scrofa L.) in Brazil

• Published in: Biological invasions Vol. 24; no. 12; pp. 3681 - 3692
• Main Authors: Hegel, C. G. Z., Faria, G. M. M., Ribeiro, B., Salvador, C. H., Rosa, C., Pedrosa, F., Batista, G., Sales, L. P., Wallau, M., Fornel, R., Aguiar, L. M. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 15th century; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brazil; Developmental Biology; Ecology; Environmental impact; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Hogs; Introduced species; Invasive species; Life Sciences; Municipalities; Nonnative species; Plant Sciences; Review; Spatial distribution; Sus scrofa; Swine; Brazil; Species introduction; Biological Invasion; Neotropics; Wild boar
• ISSN: 1387-3547; 1573-1464
• DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02872-w

Wild pigs ( Sus scrofa L.) are considered one of the 100 worst invasive species, causing adverse social, economic, and environmental impacts worldwide. Understanding their historical invasion process and following the distribution across the territory can serve as a preoccupant alert for the species’ quick expansion. Our goal was to update the information about the invasion history and spatial distribution of wild pigs in Brazil. Using extant occurrence records in the literature and from official agencies, we built distribution maps of wild pigs’ distribution in Brazil over time. We identified wild pigs reports in 1152 municipalities across the country, primarily concentrated in the southeast region of Brazil (52.95%). Our results revealed an accelerated increase of wild pigs in the last 30 years, especially across the southern, southeast and mid-west regions. This reinforces the need for immediate measures to control wild pigs and halt expansion. This is the first research showing complete historical invasion of wild pigs in Brazil.