--- title: "Collared Peccary (Dicotyles tajacu) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A 15 to 28 kg hoofed mammal that is not a pig, with self-sharpening canine teeth and a scent gland above its tail." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/collared-peccary-1.webp" published: "2026-10-11" updated: "2026-10-12" --- # Collared Peccary (*Dicotyles tajacu*) > **Status**: Checked against 6 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A 15 to 28 kg hoofed mammal that is not a pig, with self-sharpening canine teeth and a scent gland above its tail. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Neo-Classical & Baroque Chamber // Meredith Monk, "Dolmen Music" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/1elmqrmi5gRk1zZJcg6Z4R) > **Vibe Match**: When provoked, a peccary clacks its teeth together in rapid up-and-down motions, and alarmed herds huff and stomp their feet. Meredith Monk builds Dolmen Music from wordless voices: cries, sighs and breathy, percussive sounds in place of lyrics. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Dicotyles tajacu* - **Danger Level**: Medium - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2011-2.rlts.t41777a10562361.en)) - **Superpower**: Self-sharpening canine teeth that clack in warning, and a scent gland above the tail that marks territory - **Habitat**: Arizona, New Mexico and Texas south through Central America, and east of the Andes to northern Argentina - **Diet**: Cacti, roots, fruit and seeds, plus insects - **Tags**: mammal, hoofed, ungulate, omnivore, social ## Natural History & Behavior ## Teeth That Sharpen Themselves The **collared peccary** (*Dicotyles tajacu*) carries a built-in weapon rack. Its upper and lower canine teeth, the pointed ones at the corners of the mouth, are straight and self-sharpening. Few herbivores, and few carnivores, have canines as large and sharp as a peccary's, and they serve little purpose in eating. They are mainly for defence and threats: when provoked, a peccary clacks its teeth together in rapid up-and-down motions, and it can open its mouth to show them off. Many older sources file it as *Pecari tajacu*, but a 2020 review of the naming history found that *Dicotyles* is the valid genus for the collared peccary and *Pecari* its junior synonym. > **Scent signature** > A collared peccary has large scent glands on its back, just ahead of the tail, and uses their liquid to mark territory. Its eyesight is poor, but its sense of smell is highly developed. ## A Pig? Don't Say That It is perhaps better known as the javelina, but do not call it a pig. It is only distantly related to true swine, which share a common ancestor with peccaries believed to have lived some 40 million years ago. Its hind foot has only three toes. Adults stand 30 to 50 cm at the shoulder and are 84 to 106 cm long. Adults weigh 15 to 28 kg, and some in Arizona and Peru have been recorded at 40 to 42 kg. It is the smallest peccary species, but it can reach 35 kilometres per hour. ## Desert Diner, Rainforest Fruit Fan Collared peccaries live from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas through Central America and east of the Andes down to northern Argentina. Their habitats include deserts, grasslands and rainforests. In Texas, a 1981 diet study found that cacti made up 74.7 percent of what they ate. Succulent plants, cacti included, can supply up to 88 percent of a Texas javelina's water. In tropical forests they eat mostly fruit, from over 128 species. They also eat insects. ## Run First, Bluff Second Herds of about 5 to 15 animals roam semi-arid country. When a jaguar or puma shows up, they usually flee, but herds have been seen standing their ground or making bluff-charges (rushes that stop short of contact). When alarmed, they huff and stomp their feet. One captive animal was still alive at 31.5 years. In the wild, Texas javelinas generally live five to 10 years. The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is a javelina a pig? No. Pigs and peccaries are both hoofed mammals with a muscular snout built for rooting, but they sit in two different families. Pigs are Suidae and peccaries are Tayassuidae. *(Source: [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance]())* ### How big is a collared peccary? Its shoulder sits 30 to 50 cm off the ground and its body runs 84 to 106 cm. Adults weigh 15 to 28 kg, though a few from Arizona and Peru have been recorded at 40 to 42 kg. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())* ### How long can a collared peccary live? The AnAge longevity database gives a maximum of 31.5 years, from one captive animal that was still alive at that age. *(Source: [AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources]())* ### How does a desert javelina get enough water? In Texas, succulent plants such as prickly pear meet up to 88 percent of a javelina's water needs, and it will freely drink surface water where there is some. *(Source: [Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]())* ## Sources 1. [Gongora et al. (2011). Pecari tajacu. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T41777A10562361.]() 2. [Acosta et al. (2020). Unraveling the nomenclatural puzzle of the collared and white-lipped peccaries (Mammalia, Cetartiodactyla, Tayassuidae). Zootaxa.]() 3. [Pecari tajacu (collared peccary). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() 4. [Peccary. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.]() 5. [The Javelina in Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.]() 6. [AnAge entry for Pecari tajacu. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.]() *Published October 11, 2026. 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