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White-lipped Peccary
Tayassu pecariPacific region

  • Generalities
  • Morpho-functionality
  • Lifecycle
  • Distribution

RECORRIDO VIRTUAL POR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE COLOMBIA
Museo de Historia Natural
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

White-lipped Peccary
Tayassu pecari

It is a species of the New World family of pigs. It is diurnal, they walk in herds of up to 200 individuals and generally keep walking in subgroups near the area where they were born. They have an omnivorous diet that consists of insects, fruits, roots, among others. They also avoid getting away from bodies of water. These behaviors contribute to the maintenance and variety of the forests they inhabit.

Conservation status

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near Threatened

Least Concern

Not Evaluated

Data Deficient

Morpho-functionality

Hooves

Their wide hooves allow them to better distribute their weight and gives them access to unstable terrain.

Teeth

Their large canines are defense mechanisms against predators, but they are also used to feed on roots and hard fruits.

Glands

It has glands in its back that are related to its social behavior, because through them they produce toxins and fats that allow them to delimit their territory

Lifecycle

Its reproduction occurs throughout the year and the season can vary according to the subspecies. Females have litters of one to four young, although they are usually twins or triplets. The calf after one day of being born is able to run and walk next to its mother. The gestation period fluctuates from 156 to 162 days. Sexual maturity is reached between the first and the second year of life. They have a life expectancy close to 12 years.

White-lipped Peccary

Distribution

They inhabit a wide variety of habitats that include dry forests, rain forests, xerophytic areas, deserts, grasslands, mangroves, among others. Its geographical scope goes from southern Mexico to southern Ecuador and from Entre Ríos in Argentina to the Pacific coast in South America.

Distribution area