Collared peccaries, better known in the American Southwest as javelinas, are pig-like mammals that roam habitats from the deserts of the United States down through Central and South America. Though they're often mistaken for wild pigs, they're a distinct species with their own biology, social structure, and surprisingly complex herd life.
From their musky scent glands to their seed-spreading diet, here are the real facts behind these tough, adaptable animals.
Collared peccaries are also called javelinas, especially in the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Despite looking like pigs, collared peccaries belong to a separate family, Tayassuidae, and are not true pigs (family Suidae).
They live in a wide range of habitats, including deserts, grasslands, scrublands, and tropical forests across the Americas.
Their name comes from a band of pale, whitish fur around the neck and shoulders that contrasts with their darker body.
They have compact, barrel-shaped bodies, short legs, and a long, mobile snout well-suited for rooting through soil.
Collared peccaries are omnivores, eating fruit, roots, bulbs, cacti (including prickly pear), insects, and occasionally small animals.
By eating fruit and passing seeds, they act as seed dispersers that help maintain plant diversity in their ecosystems.
They live in herds, typically numbering around 6 to 12 individuals, though groups can be smaller or occasionally larger where food is plentiful.
Herd members use vocalizations such as grunts, squeals, and teeth-chattering, along with scent marking, to communicate and maintain social bonds.
Females usually give birth to one or two young (occasionally up to four) after a gestation period of roughly 140 to 145 days.
Newborn peccaries are precocial, meaning they're born well-developed and able to walk and follow the herd within hours of birth.
Collared peccaries have a large scent gland near the base of the tail that produces a strong, musky odor used for marking territory and identifying herd members.
When threatened, they may clack their teeth, raise the hair along their back, and release their musky scent to warn off predators.
The collared peccary is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, meaning it is not currently considered at risk of extinction, though habitat loss and hunting affect some local populations.
In parts of Mexico and Central and South America, peccaries appear in indigenous folklore and are hunted for meat and hide.
Collared peccaries are generally shy around humans, but conflicts occur when they become habituated to backyard food sources in suburban areas like Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona.
Adult collared peccaries typically weigh between 35 and 60 pounds (16 to 27 kg) and stand about 20 inches (50 cm) tall at the shoulder.
They have poor eyesight but a strong sense of smell, which they rely on heavily to locate food and detect predators.
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