They prefer water to mud, if available, and are good swimmers. Pigs carefully keep their sleeping area clean and will designate a spot as far from this area as possible for waste. Even piglets only a few hours old will leave the nest to relieve themselves. The species has evolved with a high capacity for storing energy in the form of fat, due to variations in the seasonal supply of food. Being omnivorous, pigs eat a wide variety of foods, from acorns and grasses to insects.
Pigs enjoy novelty and are extremely active and inquisitive.
A pig's powerful but sensitive snout is a highly developed sense organ. A pig's sense of smell is so keen that the animal is trained in France to unearth truffles, an edible fungus that grows underground. Pigs appear to have a good sense of direction, as they have found their way home over great distances. They can run at speeds around eleven miles an hour and can trot for relatively long distances. Few species are more social than pigs.