# Collared Peccary (*Pecari tajacu*) The Collared Peccary is a small, pig-like animal that loves to roam in groups. They have a special collar of white fur around their necks, which makes them easy to spot in the wild! - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Javelina ![Collared Peccary](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tayassu_tajacu.jpg&width=800) Photo: Chrumps, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tayassu_tajacu.jpg) ## Appearance The Collared Peccary is a medium-sized mammal with coarse, grayish-black hair and a distinctive lighter 'collar' of fur around its neck. It has a pig-like snout, small eyes, and sharp, downward-pointing tusks that differentiate it from true pigs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Tayassuidae - **Genus:** Pecari ## Interesting facts - Baby peccaries, called javelinas, are born with soft, reddish fur and a dark stripe. - Collared Peccaries rub scent glands to 'high-five' their friends in a special way! - Peccaries don't make oink sounds like pigs; they bark, growl, and chatter instead! - They are one of the few mammals that can eat and digest tough, spiny cacti! ## Special abilities - **Scent Marker:** Collared Peccary has a dorsal scent gland that helps them mark territory and recognize other group members. - **Cactus Crusher:** Collared Peccary can safely eat spiny cacti because of their tough mouths and stomachs that help digest them. - **Vocal Communicator:** Collared Peccary uses various barks, grunts, and teeth-chattering sounds to warn of danger or connect with their group. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 80-100 cm - **Weight:** 16-27 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-4 - **Gestation:** 141-151 days ## Diet & Feeding These omnivores munch on roots, fruits, and cacti, sometimes even bugs! - **Primary Foods:** Roots, Tubers, Cacti, Fruits, Insects, Mesquite beans - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Jaguar](https://www.snappit.app/explore/jaguar) (*Panthera onca*) — A primary predator of peccaries in their jungle habitats. - **Eaten by:** Puma (*Puma concolor*) — Preys on peccaries across their shared range in North and South America. - **Eats:** Engelmann's Prickly Pear (*Opuntia engelmannii*) — A common food source, especially for its pads and fruits. - **Eats:** [Honey Mesquite](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honey-mesquite) (*Prosopis glandulosa*) — Eats the beans and pods from this common desert tree. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Tusked](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tusked): Characterized by having long, pointed, projecting teeth, usually in pairs. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low If you see a Collared Peccary in the wild, it's best to watch from a distance and not approach them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Collared Peccary? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Collared Peccary? 80-100 cm ### How much does Collared Peccary weigh? 16-27 kg ### How long does Collared Peccary live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Collared Peccary move? 35 km/h ### What does Collared Peccary eat? These omnivores munch on roots, fruits, and cacti, sometimes even bugs! ### Where is Collared Peccary usually found? Forests ### How does Collared Peccary hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/degrazia-gallery-in-the-sun-historic-district) — Arizona, US · Historic District - [Fort McIntosh](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-mcintosh) — US · Historic Site - [King Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/king-ranch) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [National Butterfly Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-butterfly-center) — Texas, US · Nature Reserve - [Rancho Estelle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rancho-estelle) — US · Historic District - [Tohono Chul](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tohono-chul) — Arizona, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Collared Peccary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/collared-peccary) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Collared Peccary: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collared-peccary)