Adult Palawan bearded pigs have a pale mane and a long beard that crosses the snout. The species occurs in the Palawan Faunal Region of the Philippines.
Adults have short, blackish-brown hair, a longer whitish mane from the crown along the back, and a white beard running from the cheeks across the snout. The beard stands out against dark facial hair, giving a mask-like look.
The Palawan Bearded Pig is one of four wild pig species endemic to the Philippines and is native to the Palawan Faunal Region. Researchers compared genetic material from 184 Philippine pigs to study the history of lineages that persist across the islands.
The analysis proposed two possible routes for the movement of Philippine pig lineages, including one from mainland Southeast Asia through Palawan and the Sulu Archipelago. The samples also included a captive-bred cross between a Palawan Bearded Pig and native pigs in a government conservation-breeding program.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The Palawan Bearded Pig is one of four endemic Philippine wild pigs; the study also included a captive-bred cross from a conservation program.