The Yucatan minature pig as a laboratory animal

Parent stock for a minature pig herd was obtained from the progeny of pigs imported from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The Yucatan miniature pig is slate-gray, essentially hairless, and has a docile temperament. The tractable nature of this pig minimized risks for animal handlers as well as researchers. With regular human contact, these pigs became amenable to handling and tolerated restraint well. The mean birth weight was 0.74 kg, and the mean weaning weight at 60 days was 6.47 kg. The mean weight of mature nonobese boars was 83 kg while mature sows averaged 70 kg. The height and length for mature pigs of both sexes averaged 57 cm and 76 cm, respectively. The mean range of plasma glucose was 86-117 mg/dl during the first 8 weeks of life. The Yucatan miniature pig is native to tropical regions. The Colorado cold winter weather caused life-threatening stress to animals housed outside; therefore, intensive management procedures were required during the winter months.