The Resilient Collared Peccary

At a distance, collared peccaries can be confused for warthogs or wild pigs just due to their shape, size, and snout. Peccary, after all, is the family name for pig-like mammals. The Dicotyles tajacu should not be mixed up with Tayassu pecari, the white-lipped peccary.  It is a similar pig-like species from the family Tayassuidae.

This animal’s most distinctive physical feature is the thin white “collar” around its neck that goes down to its shoulders. Meanwhile, their other name, “javelina,” come from their scary teeth that look like spears.  

The collared peccary looks ordinary but it’s impressively resilient. It thrives in the dry deserts of the Southwestern United States and the forests of Mesoamerica, demonstrating amazing flexibility in their diet, behavior, and ability to survive.

Where Collared Peccaries Come From  

What is a collared peccary? And where did it come from? Paleontologists believe that the collared peccary came from pigs in Southeast Asia. They eventually moved to North America. Over time, they have lived in many warm areas, such as deserts, savannahs, hills, rainforests, and flooded plains. 

Today, they are found in places like South and Central America, northern Argentina, and the southwestern United States.

What They Look Like 

Upon closer inspection, you’ll see that they have their own set of physical qualities:

Coat

These hoofed, hog-like mammals have coarse coats that are typically grayish-black with some parts showing hints of yellowish-brown. Some have silvery streaks across their coats. 

Snout, Tusks, and Teeth

They have a total of 38 teeth. The upper teeth grow straight up while their lower teeth protrude like tusks. Unlike pigs whose tusks grow backward, their small tusks are tight and straight. 

They also have blunt snouts that root out food from the soil and tusks that help them warn predators, communicate, crush seeds, slice plant roots, and defend themselves.

Size

Most full-grown collared peccaries are 1 to 1.5 feet tall. Their lengths reach around three feet. They usually weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Heavier members of the species can weigh up to 90 pounds, particularly those that come from Peru and Arizona.

Body Structure

They have short and slender legs with cloven hooves, a hump above their shoulders, and a short tail that’s about half an inch long under their bristly fur. 

Facial Features

Collared peccaries have large elongated faces with dark and flat snouts. Their pig-like end gives them a rugged yet tender appearance. Meanwhile, their head and short ears are covered by thick fur.  

How Collared Peccaries Mate and Multiply

Javelinas are sexually active year-round. These polygynous creatures have dominant males that mate with multiple females. Male collared peccaries initiate mating. When the female is ready, the male climbs over her and intercourse begins.

Female collared peccaries are generally willing to mate when they are not nursing or pregnant, while males stay active and ready to breed whenever a willing female is present.

Females become mature earlier than males. They are fully developed at 33 to 34 weeks. Meanwhile, males become fully mature at 46 to 47 weeks. Their breeding season depends on where they live. Collared peccaries in the Amazon Rainforest have their mating season from the middle of February to June.

How Javelinas Communicate and Send Signals

Collared peccaries or musk hogs speak in grunts, barks, purrs, and other sounds. These show alarm, aggression, or submission. These sounds are important for javelinas since they have bad eyesight and good hearing.

What They Eat 

What does collared peccary eat? Those in semi-arid regions are mainly herbivores. The species can also eat plants and meat. Roots, tubers, succulents, woody plants, stems, fruits, seeds, grains, insects, and snakes are their food.  

Female collared peccaries give their offspring food after birth. They wean them after six weeks. 

In summer, these animals usually feed during the early evening and forage during the day when fall and spring come around.

Collared Peccaries’ Life Spans

In captivity, adult collared peccaries can live up to 30 years while their life spans are dramatically shorter in the wild. Depending on their foraging and survival skills, wild collared peccaries only last seven to 15 years. 

Juveniles are at high risk of dying, with a mortality rate of 22% because of predation, aggression, and maternal abandonment. 

Threats They Face

Predators, humans, and their environment are some of the major threats they face. Wild cats are their biggest predators. Coyotes, jaguars, pumas, crocodiles, and ocelots are a few examples. People also kill them for sport, hides, and food.

Aside from overhunting, other threats to their existence include habitat loss. They also face fragmentation. Fragmentation is the process where natural habitats are converted into farms and residences. Additionally, natural calamities and human settlements can lead to ecological disruption and imbalance which worsen fragmentation.

Are They Endangered?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared the collared peccary’s conservation status as Least Concern. They don’t have special statuses from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the US Federal List either. 

Collared peccaries aren’t in danger of extinction. But Paso Pacifico supports their continued survival by proactively protecting their habitats. Our work includes community-based programs, partnerships, fund drives, and conservation efforts. In addition, we use our research for recommendations and awareness campaigns. 

Quirky Facts About the Collared Peccary

Collared peccaries resemble wild boars and may seem unimpressive at first. But these quirky creatures have several fascinating and distinctive traits.

They Are Resilient and Adaptive

The Tayassu tajacu has been around for millions of years, attesting to the species’ extraordinary resilience and adaptability. Given their months-long mating seasons, readiness to procreate, ability to live in urban and suburban areas, and flexible diets, musk hogs seem built to survive even if their habitats are disrupted.

Still, collared peccaries deserve to have their natural habitats protected so they can help maintain healthy ecosystems. These hoofed animals occupy vital roles as seed dispersers, hosts to nematodes and parasites, a food source to other animals, creators of water and mud wallows, etc. 

Young Collared Peccaries Play Dead to Survive

When left by their mothers for foraging, young collared peccaries are smart enough to play dead or hide to save themselves from predators. They make themselves inconspicuous by being immobile and acting dead to be less appealing. 

They Emit a Stinky Smell as a Defense Mechanism

They let out a strong musk from the glands on their rear and near their eyes. This unpleasant smell allows them to mark their territories and identify herd members. They rub each other’s glands to heighten and pass around their scent which serves as their signature family scent, enabling them to stay together. 

Javelinas Herd Hierarchically and Huddle When It’s Cold

They usually come together in small herds of five to 15 members where one dominant male becomes the leader. This leader mates with all the females in the group. During extreme cold, members of the herd stay close to one another for warmth.

Paso Pacifico: Protecting Nature While Empowering Communities

Paso Pacifico is on a mission to restore and protect wildlife corridors in the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica. We promote biodiversity and implement scientific, boots-on-ground, iterative projects by working with local communities, land owners, and partner organizations. 

We innovate processes, incentivize best practices, and involve local communities in reforestation and wildlife protection projects. We also support ecotourism businesses and cooperatives, train children through our Junior Ranger Program, and raise awareness of environmental stewardship.

Help us create a safer tomorrow for our wildlife by donating. Together, we can overcome threats and ensure that no species gets left behind.