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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.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Clyde Morris, Alberto Esquivel, Silvia Centrón and Hugo del Castillo and is used with their permission.
WHITE-LIPPED PECCARYTayassu pecari
Of all the Peccaries, this is the one you would least like to come face to face with in a dark alley. It is an aggressive species with an extremely short temper, perhaps the Paraguayan mammal that should be treated with the most respect! They have been known to tear dogs apart when they strayed within a herd, using their sharp teeth and tusks to savage effect. Keep your distance and get to know the warning signs and you should be fine! This species emits a horrendous stink from glands near its anus when it feels threatened, individuals standing head to tail and rubbing against each other to help stimulate this gland and disseminate the smell - this is the first sign that you should beat a hasty retreat! Males also demonstrate their bone-crushing potential for aggression by making short dummy runs at an intruder, clashing the jaws together with frightening force to make a frankly terrifying sound (see FPMAM883VI)! If you are unlucky enough to see this display in the wild, then I suggest you climb the nearest tall tree as quickly as possible!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPMAM873PH) Adults, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 2 - (FPMAM874PH) Herd, Campo Maria Private Reserve (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 3 - (FPMAM875PH) Captive-bred adult male Proyecto Tagua, Fortin Toledo, High Chaco (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 4 - (FPMAM876PH) Captive-bred adult male Proyecto Tagua, Fortin Toledo, High Chaco (Paul Smith October 2009).
FIGURE 5 - (FPMAM877PH) Adult female and juvenile, Fortin Toledo, High Chaco (Clyde Morris October 2008).
FIGURE 6 - (FPMAM878PH) Adult, Bahía Negra, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Silvia Centrón September 2009).
FIGURE 7 - (FPMAM879PH) Domestic juvenile, Cruce Los Pioneros, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 8 - (FPMAM880PH) Footrpints from same herd (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 9 - (FPMAM881PH) Evidence of rooting, Campo Maria Private Reserve (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 10 - (FPMAM882PH) Dung, location unknown (Hugo del Castillo December 2005).
VIDEO A - (FPMAM883VI) Same individual as (FPMAM875PH) threat behaviour (Paul Smith September 2006).
VIDEO B - (FPMAM884VI) Same herd as (FPMAM874PH) (Paul Smith July 2006).
Tayassu pecari Click the links to hear the calls.
1 (FPMAM885RE) adult male aggressive calls recorded Proyecto Tagua, Fortín Toledo, High Chaco (Paul Smith March 2007).
2 (FPMAM886RE) juvenile distress recorded Cruce Los Pioneros, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2007).