Javelinas, often called collared peccaries, are common across the American Southwest and Latin America. These stout, pig-like mammals are frequently mistaken for wild pigs or boars due to their anatomy.
The Anatomical Answer
The answer to whether javelinas have tails is yes, though it is not easily observable. The tail is extremely short, resembling a small button or stub that rarely measures more than an inch or two in length. It is considered vestigial, a reduced structure that has lost its original function over evolutionary time.
This tiny appendage is almost entirely hidden beneath the javelina’s thick, coarse coat of salt-and-pepper colored hair. A key feature is the prominent dorsal scent gland located near the base of the tail. This gland produces a strong, musky odor used for communication and territorial marking. Javelinas rub this gland on objects and on each other to establish a group-specific scent.
Not True Pigs
Despite their strong resemblance to traditional swine, javelinas are not true pigs. Javelinas belong to the family Tayassuidae, native exclusively to the Western Hemisphere, while true pigs, hogs, and boars are members of the family Suidae, originating in the Old World.
Their feet offer a clear distinction. Javelinas possess four hoofed toes on their front feet, but only three functional toes on each hind foot. True pigs, by comparison, have four well-developed hoofed toes on both their front and rear feet.
The structure of their canine teeth, commonly called tusks, also varies significantly. A javelina’s canine teeth are sharp and grow vertically, pointing straight up and down. These tusks are honed as the upper and lower teeth slide against each other, creating a slicing edge for defense and foraging. In contrast, the tusks of true pigs tend to curve outward and backward. Javelinas also have a more complex stomach structure than that of a true pig, an adaptation related to processing tough, fibrous desert vegetation.
Key Characteristics and Habitat
The javelina, or collared peccary, is a highly adaptable mammal found across a massive range, extending from the Southwestern United States through Central America and down into northern Argentina. In the US, they inhabit arid and semi-arid environments like the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
They are highly social animals, living in cohesive family units known as herds or squadrons. These groups typically contain between five and fifteen individuals. The squadron moves, sleeps, and forages together, relying on their collective senses for protection.
Javelinas are omnivorous, but their diet leans heavily toward vegetation, particularly tough plant matter. A favorite food source in desert regions is the prickly pear cactus, which they consume pads and all. They also forage for roots, tubers, fruits, and occasionally supplement their diet with insects, eggs, or small reptiles. They are most active during the cooler hours of dawn and dusk, a behavior known as crepuscular activity.