LA SELVA-BRAULIO CARRILLO MAMMALS 



145 



ORDER ARTIODACTYLA 



Family Tayassuidae 



Tayassu pecari 

 White-lipped Peccary, Chancho de Monte 



White-lipped peccaries once occurred in lowland tropical forests from Veracruz 

 and Oaxaca in southern Mexico through Central America and much of tropical 

 South America to Entre Rios in northern Argentina (Fig. 113). One subspecies, 

 Tayassu pecari spiradens, is found in Costa Rica; the type locality for this subspecies 

 is Sipurio, Rio Sixaola, Limon Province. This species is a wilderness species and 

 endangered in Costa Rica due to overexploitation and habitat destruction (Vaughan 

 1983a). It is found from sea level to 1 ,500 m. There has been little work on white- 

 lipped peccaries in Costa Rica, in part because they are now so rarely encountered. 

 The ecology of this species recently was reviewed by Mayer and Wetzel (1987). 



Between 1979 and 1987, herds of white-lipped peccaries have been recorded 

 at La Selva on only five occasions, the most recent of these in July 1983. Pringle 

 et al. (1984:198) reported, "Local people told us that white-lipped peccaries 

 (T. pecari) were especially vulnerable to overhunting because of large herd size 

 and aggressive temperament, and that this species is now very rare or absent in 

 the ZP [Zona Protectora] . " McHargue and Hartshorn (1983:401) stated of T. pecan 

 in the La Selva area that "According to knowledgeable local people, white-lippe' 

 peccaries are usually found in swamps feeding on Carapa seeds. We did not observe 

 any sign of white-lipped peccaries in the Study Area n during the summers of 1974, 

 1975, and 1976." White-lipped peccaries apparently were abundant in the La Selva 

 area as late as the early 1960's. Paul Slud (1960:76) wrote "Ominous are the clop- 

 ping, champing noises of a herd of White-lipped Peccaries; unsettling is the heavy, 

 growling 'woof of a startled individual close at hand." 



Although white-lipped peccaries have been given complete protection as an 

 endangered species in Costa Rica, the species is still hunted in some areas. 



Tayassu tajacu 

 Collared Peccary, Samo 



Collared peccaries are found from the southwestern United States throughout 

 Central America and tropical South America south to Santiago del Estero in north- 

 ern Argentina (Fig. 114). One subspecies, Tayassu tajacu crusnigrum is found in 

 Costa Rica from sea level to about 3,000 m. Collared peccaries are one of the 

 most important game species in Costa Rica. 



Collared peccaries are common, obvious elements of the La Selva fauna; they 

 have been seen there on numerous occasions year round. They have been observed 

 in herd sizes of 25-30 individuals. Juveniles have been seen in May and July. The 

 January 1983 and the 1986 expeditions into Braulio Carrillo recorded peccary tracks 

 at numerous elevations. Although the tracks could not be identified to species, it 



