Collared peccary

About This Project

A cactus eater!

Peccaries live in strongly bonded groups of 5 to 15 individuals. They have a precise hierarchy and, unusually, there are the same number of males as females, as the subordinate males do not attempt to mate and are therefore tolerated by the dominant male.

They use their sense of smell to find roots, bulbs and other tubers they enjoy eating, though their favourite food is the Barbary fig, a very prickly cactus!

Though collared peccary populations are stable, this species is widely hunted for its skin, valued by the glove industry…

Latin name: Pecari tajacu
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Tayassuidae
Size: 0.3-0.5 m tall, 0.8-1 m long
Weight: 15-30 kg
Lifespan: 25 years
Gestation: 5 months
Number of young: 1-3
Habitat: tropical forest / savannah
Diet: herbi/ frugi
Distribution: southern United States, Central America and South America as far as northern Argentina.
Conservation status: not at risk

Category
Mammalia