Collared Peccary

About the Collared Peccary

Often mistaken for a wild pig, the Collared Peccary - better known in Texas as the javelina - is actually a member of a distinct New World family. It is a compact, coarse-haired animal, grizzled gray-black with a pale collar of hair across the shoulders, a large head, and short, straight tusks. A scent gland on its back gives it a strong, musky odor that carries on the desert air.

Javelinas travel in tight-knit family bands, feeding on prickly pear cactus, roots, tubers, and fruit, and they are most active in the cooler hours of morning and evening. Poor-sighted but keen of nose, a startled band will scatter with woofs and clacking teeth.

In Texas the javelina is a characteristic mammal of the South Texas brush country and the Trans-Pecos deserts, at home in thornscrub, mesquite flats, and rocky canyons.

A note from behind the lens: bands feeding on prickly pear at dawn or dusk are your best chance. Keep a respectful distance and mind the wind, get low to their level in the warm light, and watch for the interactions within the group that tell the story of the band.