Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, José Luis Cartes, Rebecca Zarza and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
TAYASSUIDAE - PECCARIES
Three robust species of superficially pig-like artiodactyls, with short, thick, neck and large, triangular head. The legs are short and slender with four digits on the forefeet and three on the hindfeet, the two largest toes on each foot bearing the weight of the animal. The nose is long, mobile and cartilaginous, flattened at the end into a pig-like snout. Pelage long and stiff, lengthened into a mane on the neck. Canines are robust and tusk-like, the upper canine angled downwards to for a shearing edge with the lower. A large space separates the canines from the premolars, the latter with the molars forming a series of teeth each increasing in size from the last. The molars have a square crown with four cusps in the corners. Peccaries are omnivores and though the stomach is split into three chambers they do not ruminate. Peccaries are social animals giving birth to one or two precocial young.
Click here to view the Tayassuidae Comparative Skull Gallery
REFERENCES
Diaz MM & Barquez RM 2002 - Los Mamíferos de Jujuy, Argentina - LOLA
Emmons LH & Feer F 1999 - Mamíferos de los Bosques Húmedos de América Tropical - FAN Bolivia
Redford K 1992 - Mammals of the Neotropics Vol 2: The Southern Cone Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay - University of Chicago Press.
