Chacoan peccary
Catagonus wagneri
Did you know?
- Chacoan peccaries can be found throughout the arid Gran Chaco region of South America.
- This species is the largest species of peccary and was thought to be extinct by the western scientific community up until 1972!
- They are frugivores and herbivores—eating mainly fruits and the fleshy parts of plants.
- They can be between 35–44 inches long and weigh up to 88 pounds.
- They mate in April and May and have litters of up to four young at a time.
Adaptations
Who are you calling a pig? Peccaries are not members of the true pig family (Suidae). Instead, they are in their own family, Tayassuidae. While they do share a common ancestor with true pigs, there are a few key physical differences. Their skulls are one of the main differences, especially their teeth. Peccary canines point down and not out or up like warthogs or babirusa. You can also look at their ears. Most pigs have large, upright ears, while peccaries have smaller, rounded ears.
Unique to the Americas
There are only three species of peccary and they are all found in North and South America. All species live in groups, greet each other through touch, love a good wallow, and eat plants. In fact, they help grow more of the plants that they enjoy eating by dispersing seeds either through their dung or on their fur.
Threat Level
- Unknown
- Common
- Near Threatened
- Threatened
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
Endangered
Hunting and the destruction of its habitat for cattle ranching, oil exploration and road construction, is fragmenting Chacoan peccary populations throughout its range.
Range
South America’s Chaco region: Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina.
Habitat
dense, arid thorn forest, along with some open woodlands
We care about Chacoan peccary
The main threat to Chacoan peccaries is habitat loss. Their native range has been transformed over the decades into ranch-style farmland, preventing peccary groups from finding each other and finding suitable habitat for food and rearing young.
Find this animal in River's Edge
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