The Collared Peccary or Javelina
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Tayassuidae
Genus: Pecari
Species: Pecari tajacu
Native to the Chihuahuan and
Sonoran Deserts of southwestern
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona,
the Collared Peccary has also
migrated southward through
Central and Southern America.
While Peccaries look very similar to pigs, due
to anatomical differences, they are placed into
their own family, Tayassuidae.
Peccaries are smaller then most pigs, have a
more slender leg and have fewer toes on each
hoof, compared to pigs. Unlike other wild pigs,
Peccary tusks are pointed downward and are
not curved. Known for their distinctive smell,
Peccary, also known as Skunk Hogs, have a
large musk gland used for marking and
recognition. It is said that you often will smell a
Peccary long before you see one.
Appearing in the fossil records of the Late
Eocene or Early Oligocene periods, the
early Peccary was found mostly in
Europe. Younger fossils have been found
in all continents except Australia and
Antarctica.
While they are very common in South and
Central America today, peccaries were not
native to these areas until the Great
American Interchange, when the Isthmus
of Panama formed, and allowed North
American Peccary to migrate south.
Peccary are social animals and
usually travel in packs of 5-12.
However, packs of up to 50 have
known to exist. These packs have a
linear hierarchy, with a dominate
male, usually determined by size,
at its head.
Giving birth to 1 to 3 young, the average
Peccary gestation period is around 145
days. Young Peccary coats are reddish to
yellow-brown in color, while adult coats
are darker. Adults develop a band of
yellow-white hair around the neck, which
is very apparent when excited or angered.
Migrating in small family groups,
Peccary forage by eating roots, fruits,
insects, worms, and reptiles. While
primarily herbivorous, Peccary have
complex stomachs for digesting
coarsely-chewed food and can digest
meat.
The average adult Collared Peccary is 45
to 60 inches long and between 20 and 25
inches in height. The average adult weighs
anywhere from 40 to 60 pounds. While
Peccary have a high mortality rate, some
have lived up to 24 years in captivity.
Despite their ability to eat a wide range
of food, the main dietary components of
this species are agaves and prickly pear
cactus. Peccary seem to prefer these
cacti due to high water contents.
Collared Peccary are called
Javelina due to their elongated
pointed tusks, which resemble a
spear or javelin.
During summer months, the Peccary spends
most of the day in shade or small burrows.
During the winter, Peccary are active during
the day to take advantage of the warm sunlight.
Collared Peccary have very
acute hearing, but poor, myopic
eyesight.
References:
Other than the Collared Peccary,
there are 3 other species living
today: the White-Lipped
Peccary, the Chacoan Peccary,
and the Giant Peccary.
Javelinas and other peccaries: their biology,
management, and use, Sowls, Lyle K.
Ultimate Ungulates: www.ultimateungulate.com
Exploring the Southwest US Desert:
www.desertusa.com
By Eaton James