COLLARED PECCARY Pécari, Jabalina (S) Kitam (M)

Identification: Both males and females average 40 cm at shoulder height, 80-98 cm from nose to tail and weigh 17-35 kg. A peccary, related to pigs, has their characteristically hoglike large jowels, protruding snout, thick neck, and delicate skinny legs. Gray to black hair covers its heavy-set body with longer, stiffer hairs cresting the spine. A collar of pale hair rings the neck. Like pigs, it grunts, or when frightened makes a doggish bark (Emmons 1997).

Habitat: They live in various habitats from the desert grasslands (northern range) to the rain forests (Emmons 1997).

Range: They live from the southwestern United States down to Argentina.

Similar species: The three existing species of peccary are indigenous to the New World. The most wide-ranging is the collared peccary, although the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) also occurs in the Maya area (Emmons 1997).

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