THE PECCARY FAMILY 



( Tayassuida) 



ECCARIES clearly belong in a family by themselves. Their nearest relatives 

 are the wild boars of the Old World, and the domesticated swine, but there 

 are well-marked points of difference from these also. The American family 

 contains several species in Central and South America, but only one north of 

 the Rio Grande. 



Distinguishing marks are : upper tusks directed downward instead of up- 

 ward ; three toes instead of four on hind feet ; a complex stomach somewhat 

 like that of the ruminants; twelve premolars, twelve molars, and a total of 

 38 teeth; whitish collar, and black dorsal stripe; and a large musk gland in 

 which is secreted a quantity of evil-smelling oily substance. 



Fossil remains of Peccaries, some belonging to living and others to extinct 

 species, occur in Pleistocene deposits of both North and South America. In addition to 

 these, certain extinct Pliocene and Miocene hog-like animals seem to indicate the parent- 

 stock from which both the Peccaries and the true pigs have been derived. 



COLLARED PECCARY 



Pecari angulatus (Cope) 



Other Name. — Texas Peccary, Musk Hog. 



General Description. — A small pig-like animal of 

 about 40 pounds weight. Sexes similar. Tail rudi- 

 mentary. General appearance black, grizzled with 

 grayish, white. A large scent or musk gland just under 

 skin of rump. .A broken whitish collar just in front 

 of the shoulders, and a mane of long erectile hairs 

 from occiput to rump. Strong straight tusks just visible 

 beyond lips. Toes, four in front, three behind. Hair 

 coarse and bristle-like. 



Dental Formula. — Incisors, — ; Canines, -^: 



3—3 I— i' 



Premolars ^^; Molars, ^■'=38. 



Pelage. — Adults: Above, the hairs are black with 



grayish white annulations giving a somewhat grizzled 



appearance most noticeable on muzzle, cheeks and under 



side of head. .\ mane of black hairs, conspicuously 



longer than the other hairs, runs from back of the 



ears to the scent gland on the rump. An incomplete 



"collar" of soiled whitish runs from just before the 



'shoulder obliquely upward and backward to the mane 



which breaks the continuity of the collar. Ears with 



five stripes of white hair internally, blackish externally. 



Below, the hairs vary from reddish-black along the 



ventral line to brownish-gray along groin and pit. 



Hairs everywhere long, hard and glossy. Young : At 



first brownish-yellow touched with black above, plain 



yellowish-gray below. A black stripe in the position 



of mane of adult, whitish collar and annuli of adult 

 reddish in young. 



Measurements. — Total length (se.xes same size) 

 3 feet, 2 inches. Height at shoulders, 32 inches. 



Range. — Plains and desert areas up into lower 

 mountains from Northern Mexico into Texas. 



Food. — Roots, acorns, pecans and miscellaneous 

 vegetation. 



Remarks. — This animal is the only native "pig" 

 found in the United States. However, while super- 

 ficially bearing a close resemblance to the Old World 

 pigs, the common domestic swine, it is a member of a 

 distinct family based upon important internal structures. 



Related Species 



The Peccaries are a compact group containing several 

 quite distinct varieties in Central and South America, 

 but only one well-established species with its subspecies 

 north of the Rio Grande. These subspecies are all very 

 much alike. 



Collared Peccary, or Texas Peccary. — Pecari 

 iiiii/ulatiis angulatus (Cope). The animal above 

 described. 



Sonera Peccary, or Yaqui Peccary. — Pecari angu- 

 latus sonoricnsis (Mearns). Larger and paler than the 

 Te.xas Peccary. Sonora. Mexico, and region between 

 Texas and Gulf of California. 



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