Collared Peccary

Pecari tajacu

Range

• The Southwest United States, Central America, North through Central South America

Habitat

• Desert and rainforest

Diet

• Cactus
• Mesquite beans
• Fruits
• Roots
• Tubers
• Palm nuts
• Grasses
• Invertebrates
• Small vertebrates

Neither pig nor razorback, this omnivore’s razor-sharp tusks inspired its nickname, the javelina (have-a-LEE-nah), referring to a javelin or spear.

Unable to pant, they bed down in the shade during the midday heat and forage for water-rich prickly pears and agave in the cool of early morning and evening. They are territorial and live in herds of 5-15 with a hierarchy determined by size; the biggest peccary is dominant.