Common corncockle vs wild boar

Agrostemma githago compared with Sus scrofa

Key Differences

Common corncockle is Critically Endangered while wild boar is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common corncockle	wild boar
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Suidae (Pigs)
Genus	Agrostemma	Sus (Pigs)
Species	Agrostemma githago	Sus scrofa

Conservation Status

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

wild boar

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common corncockle	wild boar
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.5 m
Average Weight	—	80.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common corncockle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho), Asia (7 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

wild boar

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (5 countries), Asia (5 countries), Europe (12 countries), North America (14 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (14 countries), and South America (8 countries).

Common corncockle

<em>Agrostemma githago</em>, commonly known as common corncockle, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Once a widespread weed of cereal crops across Europe, Asia, and beyond, this species is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the dramatic decline caused by modern agricultural practices, particularly improved grain cleaning and herbicide use. Corncockle is a tall, slender plant covered in silky white hairs, bearing large, solitary pink to purple flowers with distinctive dark veining. Its seeds contain toxic saponin compounds called githagins, which historically contaminated grain supplies. The species now survives primarily in wildflower conservation areas, seed banks, and traditional farmland conservation schemes. It typically grows in open, disturbed arable soils with full sun exposure. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

wild boar

The ancestor of domestic pigs, wild boars are robust, omnivorous ungulates weighing up to 200 kg, found from Western Europe through Asia and North Africa in diverse habitats including forests, wetlands, and grasslands. Highly adaptable and prolific breeders, they have become invasive in many regions including North America and Australia. Their rooting behavior disturbs soil and vegetation, influencing forest structure and seed germination significantly.