| Range: |
Central South America |
| Habitat: |
Dry thorn forests with isolated savannahs |
| Conservation Status: |
Endangered |
| Scientific Name: |
Catagonus wagneri |
This wild pig cousin was discovered only in 1972, making it one of
the most recently discovered large mammals. It lives in small herds of
three to seven adults and their young. Peccaries "bond" by
rubbing other group members with the smells produced by their scent
glands. The numbers of Chacoan peccaries have declined drastically
because of hunting and habitat destruction. Did You Know?These animals love to eat prickly cactus. They remove the spines by rolling them around with their rubbery snouts!
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