What is the primary function of the warthog carrying its thin tail straight up in the air?
Answer
It serves as a highly visible flag allowing piglets to follow the sow
The tail plays a crucial role in communication and group cohesion, particularly when the warthog is moving or feels threatened. When the animal is alarmed, traveling, or when a sow is leading its young, the tail is held rigidly upright. This erect tail becomes a highly visible beacon or flag against the background of savanna grasses, ensuring that piglets, which may be small and easily lost, can easily maintain visual contact and follow their mother through dense vegetation or over minor terrain changes.
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