Javelinas, also known as collared peccaries, are hoofed mammals native to the Southwestern United States, Central, and South America. Resembling wild pigs, they belong to the distinct Tayassuidae family. They inhabit desert washes, saguaro and palo verde forests, oak woodlands, and grasslands. While often described as omnivores, plant material constitutes the vast majority of their diet.
Primary Plant-Based Diet
Javelinas primarily consume succulent plants, with prickly pear cactus being a significant component of their diet, sometimes making up 30-80% of their diet. They eat the pads, fruits, and even roots of prickly pear, often consuming thorns without difficulty. Beyond prickly pear, javelinas also feed on other desert plants such as agave and lechuguilla.
Their diet includes a variety of roots, tubers, and bulbs, which they unearth from the soil. They also consume fruits, seeds, and beans from plants like mesquite, jojoba, and saguaro. These plant parts provide essential nutrients, supplementing the lower protein content found in cacti.
Foraging Behavior and Adaptations
Javelinas possess adaptations for foraging. Their keen sense of smell allows them to locate buried roots and tubers and detect food sources from a distance. They use their tough snouts and tusks for digging, rooting, and stripping bark or tough exteriors to access edible portions. Their 2-inch-long canine teeth and solid molars enable them to shred and grind fibrous plant material.
Their specialized digestive system is adapted to process the tough, fibrous plant matter they consume. Javelinas obtain most of their water requirements, up to 88%, directly from the succulent plants they eat, which is especially important in arid environments. Prickly pear pads, for example, consist of up to 90% water.
Seasonal Shifts and Opportunistic Eating
The javelina’s diet can shift seasonally based on plant availability. In the spring, they may focus on forbs, grasses, and tubers that sprout after rains, transitioning to blossoms, pads, and green fruit of cholla and prickly pear as the dry season progresses. Later, during summer monsoons, beans, seeds, and fruits from various plants become more abundant, along with revived forbs and tubers.
While their diet is overwhelmingly plant-based, javelinas are opportunistic feeders. They may occasionally consume insects, grubs, small vertebrates, or carrion, though these items constitute a minimal portion of their overall diet. In urban and suburban areas, javelinas may adapt to human presence by consuming garden plants, birdseed, or pet food, which can lead to conflicts with homeowners. They are attracted to easy food sources and will eat a wide variety of cultivated plants.