Do not confuse native species with exotics
FUN FACT
Unlike pigs, male and female peccaries are equal in size. Peccaries have a promiscuous mating system, and because they rarely fight between each other for mates, we like to call them the peaceful hippies of the forest.
-In regions where wild boars, feral pigs and various pig breeds cause crop damage, being confused with these invasive species is practically a death sentence for the native peccaries.
-They may be similar in appearance, but millions of years of evolution separated the peccary and pig families.
-To differentiate them, note that peccaries do not have a tail, and the number of offspring is rarely greater than two / year (unlike pigs that can have over 12/year).
-Peccaries can be perceived by a characteristic sound: the clacking of their teeth that both male and female do when the herd is
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Do not confuse native species with exotics
THREATS
Peccaries are primarily fruit eaters, so deforestation and climate change are major threats to their survival. Illegal hunting is also a significant threat.
-Peccaries are highly social and travel in cohesive herds composed of family members. Herd size varies with species: Collared Peccary– between 7 and 15 individuals; White-lipped peccary– can be >100 individuals.
-The herd’s stampeding, rooting, and plowing behavior bury seeds in the soil and shift others to new locations. These Ecosystem Engineering activities maintain the forest biodiversity and benefit other wildlife.
-The peccaries are one of the main sources of protein for the jaguars and their disappearance can hurt jaguar populations and increase predation on livestock: aggravating human-wildlife conflict. Peccary extinction not only hurts biodiversity and other wildlife but also causes economic losses for landowners.
What do peccaries eat?
The primary food source for peccaries consist of fruits but they also eat roots, vegetation, and occasionally protein sources.
FUN FACT
Large herbivores have major key roles on vegetation regulation.