Pig (Books)

The Domestic Pig is a livestock animal mentioned in the How to train Your Dragon Book series.

Description
Domestic pigs are heavy four-footed animals with four hooved toes on each foot, two larger ones and two smaller ones on either side of the foot above the larger toes. There is some contention whether the domestic pig is its own species (designated Sus domesticus) or considered a sub-species of the Wild Boar (designated Sus scrofa domesticus). Archaeological evidence indicates that pigs were domesticated from Wild Boar in at least three separate events, the earliest over 10,000 years ago in the Near East.

Interestingly, when allowed to do so, pregnant pigs will create a nest into which to birth the piglets. This behavior is similar to many carnivores, but not other hooved animals. They are also omnivorous as opposed to completely herbivorous like other hooved animals. Pigs are foragers and scavengers, eating leaves, flowers and other plants and plant parts, but also carcasses and even refuse.

Function
In both the Book series and in real life, a pig's primary function is as a food source. Pigs are also used as a descriptor.

Pig skin can be eaten as well, but also used with various items such as clothing. Some pig breeds are kept as pets, and pigs have been used in scientific research.

How to Train Your Dragon
When Stoick the Vast is introduced in the first book of the series, he is seen eating a piglet as well as a variety of other items.