Plate 029 · rooting in leaf litter with a youngster IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Whitish collar from throat to shoulders.
- 2Dark mane along the back, raised when alarmed.
- 3Grizzled coat, black with greyish tips.
- 4Disc-shaped snout for rooting; short tusks.
- 5Small ears on a large, wedge-shaped head.
- 6Reddish young with a black back stripe and a faint collar.
Easily confused with Feral pigSus scrofaBigger, with a visible tail and no pale collar. White-lipped peccaryTayassu pecariWhite chin patch, no collar, and much larger herds. 029 / 100 · MAMMALS · TAYASSUIDAELEAST CONCERN Collared peccary
Pecari tajacu
Pecarí de collar · Javelina
It lives in herds that roam the lower forest rooting through the soil for roots, fruit and invertebrates. Few populations remain in Tucumán, in the northern and eastern foothills, because hunting and clearing have made it scarce.
- Weight
- c. 17 – 30 kg
- Altitude
- c. 400 – 1,500 m
- Herd
- c. 5 – 15 animals
- Gestation
- c. 115 days; usually twins
- Lives in herds
- Rooter
- Omnivore
- Heavily hunted
Altitude rangeIn the lower forest
Foothills and lower montane forest Lives mainly in foothill forest and its transition to the Chaco. Altitude limits in Tucumán are approximate.
FoodWhatever the ground offers
- Fallen fruitstaple in summer
- Roots and tubersdug out with the snout
- Seedscracked with its molars
- Grubs and invertebratesfrom the litter
- Fungioccasional
By churning the soil it mixes the litter and buries seeds, which changes how the forest regenerates.
BehaviourA close-knit herd
- Stable herds. Males, females and young live together and defend a shared territory.
- Scent gland. It has a gland on its rump. Herd members rub against each other to share the group scent.
- Tooth clacking. When alarmed it raises its back mane and clacks its tusks.
Where to look in Tucumán- Benjamín Aráoz (Burruyacú)
- Sierra de Medina (Burruyacú)