Ears
Position and movement, where the breed allows.
For exampleEars pointing forward usually mean a pig is paying attention. Ears pulled back can signal fear or the start of a fight.
Species / Pigs
Pigbody language.
Clever, social and vocal, with a whole language of grunts most people never learn to hear.
87Signals mapped
52Science-backed references
162Unique scenarios
Start with the animal
Who the pig is.
Pigs are clever, curious and very social. In the wild they live in small family groups, spend most of the day rooting and foraging, and keep up a near-constant conversation of grunts.
Most people never learn to read a pig, which is a shame, because they are some of the most expressive animals we share our lives with.
What FaunaVera looks at
The signals we read.
A few of the channels FaunaVera watches and listens to in every pig video, weighed together with context and checked against a pig-specific ethogram.
Tail
Carriage and motion, one of the clearest mood signals a pig has.
For exampleA curled or wagging tail is generally linked to positive states. A tail hanging straight down or tucked can signal stress.
Snout and face
Expression, tension and where the nose is directed.
For exampleA pig rooting and sniffing around is engaged and exploring. A still snout with a fixed stare often means they are wary.
Body
Posture, activity and how a pig lies.
For exampleLying stretched out on their side, often touching other pigs, usually means a relaxed pig. Lying on the belly with legs tucked under is a more alert position.
Group behaviour
Who is near whom, and who is avoiding whom.
For exampleA pig that is repeatedly pushed away from food or lies apart from the group may be low-ranking, stressed or unwell.
Voice
Grunts, squeals and screams, and how long each one lasts.
For exampleShort, soft grunts are mostly contact calls. Long, high-pitched squeals and screams are linked to fear or pain.
Did you know?
Pig calls carry emotion: across thousands of recordings, calls in positive situations tend to be shorter than calls in negative ones.
Common misreads
- “A quiet pig is a content pig.”An inactive, unresponsive pig may be bored, stressed or unwell. Content pigs explore, root and grunt softly to their groupmates.
- “A dropped tail is nothing to worry about.”A tail hanging limp or tucked is linked to stress, and in a group it can be an early warning sign of tail biting.
- “Rooting at a bare floor is just normal pig behaviour.”Rooting is normal, but rooting at bare concrete can be a sign of frustration. The pig needs something to root in, like straw or soil.
Being around a pig
Move slowly, speak calmly and let a pig investigate you on their own terms. Pigs remember how they have been handled and adjust to people accordingly.
See it for yourself
Your pig, read in seconds.
Upload a short video and FaunaVera reads the whole picture for you: an Interpretation, Voice of Animal, practical Tips and Ethogram Insights that explain exactly which signals it saw.
Where this comes from
A few of the studies.
FaunaVera's pig ethogram draws on 52 science-backed references. Here are a handful of them.
- Briefer EF, Sypherd CC-R, Linhart P et al. (2022). Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production. Scientific Reports, 12, 3409. Read
- Reimert I, Bolhuis JE, Kemp B & Rodenburg TB (2013). Indicators of positive and negative emotions and emotional contagion in pigs. Physiology & Behavior, 109, 42-50. Read
- Camerlink I, Coulange E, Farish M et al. (2018). Facial expression as a potential measure of both intent and emotion. Scientific Reports, 8, 17602. Read
- Viscardi AV, Hunniford M, Lawlis P et al. (2017). Development of a Piglet Grimace Scale to evaluate piglet pain using facial expressions following castration and tail docking: a pilot study. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 4, 51. Read
- Friel M, Kunc HP, Griffin K et al. (2019). Positive and negative contexts predict duration of pig vocalisations. Scientific Reports, 9, 2062. Read
- Marino L & Colvin CM (2015). Thinking pigs: a comparative review of cognition, emotion, and personality in Sus domesticus. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 28. Read
