Description
Young wild javelina juveniles lay side by side in the morning sunshine before starting their day. The collared peccary has a strong resemblance to pigs. Like pigs, it has a snout ending in a cartilagenous disc, and eyes that are small relative to its head. Also like pigs, it uses only the middle two digits for walking, although, unlike pigs, the other toes may be altogether absent. Peccaries are omnivores, and will eat small animals, although their preferred food consists of roots, grass, seeds, fruit, and cacti - particularly prickly pear cacti. They have a distinct obnoxious body odor that can be detected upon approaching them - often this betrays their presence before seeing them. Yavapai County, Arizona, 2012.
