Body size and reproductive parameters in the wild boar Sus scrofa

Parameters involved in the reproductive performance of wild boar Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758, such as fertility rates and litter size, show considerable intrapopu- lational variability. In this work we analyze a total of 198 females, culled by hunting in the Villuercas region (Cáceres, Spain), in an area with food suplementary throughout the year. The 31% of the total number of females examined, and the 47% of the female above 44 kg body weight, were in breeding condition (either gestating or lactating). There were no differences among four central months throughout the breeding period in the proportion of breeding females. Mean litter size was positively influenced by physical features of the female such as body size and weight. The month of the year (within the central breeding period) did not affect litter size. These findings indicate that reproductive decisions of females, ie whether or not to start gestation and the number of offspring in the litter, are mainly determined by their physical features.