Arizona Oddities

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Your Guides
  • Departments
    • Art
    • Dose of History
    • Culture
    • Natural Surroundings
    • Odd Observations
    • Weather Talk
    • Food & Dining
    • Small Town Scene
    • Recreation
    • Only in Arizona
  • Get the Books
  • Contact Us

logo

Arizona Oddities

  • Home
  • Your Guides
  • Departments
    • Art
    • Dose of History
    • Culture
    • Natural Surroundings
    • Odd Observations
    • Weather Talk
    • Food & Dining
    • Small Town Scene
    • Recreation
    • Only in Arizona
  • Get the Books
  • Contact Us
Natural Surroundings
Home›Natural Surroundings›5 Facts About the Southwest’s Strangest, Smelliest Inhabitant – The Javelina

5 Facts About the Southwest’s Strangest, Smelliest Inhabitant – The Javelina

By Taylor Haynes
April 3, 2019
11493
3

For many of us who grew up in the Southwest, javelinas — or properly known as peccaries —were a common sight. It wasn’t unusual to see a pack, often with babies in tow, crossing the street and disappearing into the brush. For those familiar with wildlife indigenous to the American Southwest and Central America, the javelina was as unexciting as a resident raccoon rummaging through the garbage.

But to others hailing from elsewhere, the peccary might as well be from a different planet: they’re not quite a pig, not quite a deer, with cloven hooves, long snout, wiry hair and are accompanied by a strange, musky odor.

Intrigued? Check out five facts about these one-of-a-kind creatures.

  1. They aren’t pigs, but they are distant cousins – While javelinas and pigs belong the same taxonomical order, they belong to separate families: peccaries are within the Tayassuidae family, while pigs are within the Sudae family.There are several characteristics that separate pigs from peccaries:- Javelinas have three toes on their back feet, while pigs have two.
    – Their canine teeth differ; javelinas’ are straight while pigs’ are curved.
    – Female javelinas usually give birth to twins (sometimes referred to as “reds” because of their gingery coat) who are almost immediately independent. Pigs, on the other hand, give birth to large litters of helpless piglets.
  2. They’re blind and have some serious B.O. – If javelinas could wear glasses, they probably would. Their eyesight is known to be terrible. This means they rely heavily on their keen sense of smell — which definitely makes up for the poor vision.Moreover, peccaries have a gland that releases a peculiar, musky odor, earning them the nickname “skunk pig” in some regions. They’re able to discern individuals in the pack by their unique scent. On the other hand, if they catch a whiff of an unfamiliar aroma — say, a group of sweaty hikers — they’ll alert each other to potential danger.
  3. The original plant-based diet – Peccaries tend to feed on shrubs, vegetation, nuts and seeds, using their snouts to forage in the underbrush. Their all-time favorite snack is juicy prickly pear, straight off the cactus. However, if given the opportunity, they’ve been known to also feed on dead birds or other small, already deceased rodents. Bon appetit!
  4. A mysterious giant peccary may be lurking in the Amazon – A giant peccary was allegedly discovered in 2000 in the Amazon rainforest, though its existence is unconfirmed. Scientists know very little about this species, besides the fact that it surpasses other types of peccary in both height and weight.
  5. Peccaries are inherently gentle — but don’t get between a mom and her babies – Javelinas are most likely more afraid of humans than we are of them, but they can be aggressive when they feel threatened — and they’re especially protective over the youngest members of the pack. Large groups of javelinas have been known to seriously injure or kill humans. We recommend keeping a safe distance to maintain peaceful coexistence.

Javelinas can be mischievous, don’t necessarily smell like roses and can present a threat to small dogs, so it’s understandable that some people don’t want packs of peccaries hanging out in their back yard. We discussed some ways to repel javelinas in this post.

But most times, javelinas are shy, timid and mind their own business. Unless you find yourself face-to-face with an Amazonian giant peccary, chances are they’ll wander off without causing too much trouble.

 

 

(Visited 5,657 times, 1 visits today)

Related Posts:

  1. The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax
  2. How to Keep Javelinas Away from Your Yard
  3. Ewing Young: The Southwest’s Premier Mountain Man
  4. Did You Know? Quirky Arizona Facts from Marshall Trimble
  5. Quick Facts About Tamales
Tagsanimalspeccaryspecieswildlife

3 comments

  1. Glenn Baxter 3 April, 2019 at 10:06 Reply

    I was 3 years old when we moved into a new neighborhood near 35th and Glendale. For the first year, there was no fence to separate our house from the desert. I did not need to be told to stay away from these nasty things as I saw one tear a pet apart one day.

  2. Lynda Mearns 6 December, 2019 at 21:17 Reply

    A mom and dad decided to move into our horse barn (we no longer have horses) our horse barn is now full of cars, a truck and trailers, a riding mower and a John Deer, and various horse stuff. We are rarely in the horse barn. The Havalina moved in, had two babies and hung out for a few weeks. They hung out off and on for a few more weeks, until it warmed up. They still hung out occasionally. Chuck went in to get his truck and the big Male charged him, he managed to get into his truck in time.
    Soooooo we are never to sure at this time of the year. I never walk into the horse barn unarmed.

  3. Leslie Fajardo 27 December, 2019 at 21:59 Reply

    Lessons on the danger of Javelinas. I was walking our two dogs in a large wash. Before I saw it, our German Shepherd /Belgian Malinois mix had grabbed a large Javelina poop. Before I could grab his mouth he had scarfed it down. He got sick a day later and gave the bacterial infection to our other dog, a Scottish Terrier. I felt so badly for them, they were so miserable; diarrhea, as well as throwing up. Our wonderful vet put both on IV’s, and injected them full of water. The have antibiotic meds, anti nausea meds. special digestible canned food and after they finish a week of that, probiotics. So, the Javelina is dangerous in more ways than one.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Arizona Oddities Archive

Most Popular Posts

  • How to Keep Scorpions Away from Your Home
  • How to Keep Javelinas Away from Your Yard
  • What’s With All the Backyard Concrete-Block Fences…
  • Did You Know it’s Against the Law to Grow…
  • Can You Get a Sunburn Under Water?

This Week Past Years

2019

  • McDonald’s Arches Take a Different Hue in Sedona

2018

  • Get Your Arizona Wine Fix at Cornville Wineries

2017

  • Shake, Rattle & Roll: Rattlesnake Avoidance Training

2015

  • The Legend of Apache Cave
  • No Lettuce Cooking at Yuma Lettuce Days

2014

  • Featured Artist: Marty Le Messurier

2013

  • The Story of J Goldwater & Bros: Commerce on the Colorado River

2012

  • Besh-Ba-Gowah: The Non-Ruin Ruins in Globe
  • Ewing Young: The Southwest’s Premier Mountain Man

2011

  • The Wounded Goddess Atop the State Capitol Dome

2010

  • Do Your Feet Get Bigger When You Move to the Desert?
  • Know the Origin of the Highway 89 Screamers?
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Find a Famous Writer and Explorer's Mountain Retreat in Greer

    Find a Famous Writer and Explorer’s Historic Mountain Retreat in Greer

    By Taylor Haynes
    July 31, 2020
  • thousands of Mexican free tail bats make Phoenix tunnel their summer home

    Thousands of Mexican Free-Tail Bats Make Phoenix Tunnel Their Summer Home

    By Taylor Haynes
    July 17, 2020
  • How to Keep Scorpions Away from Your Home

    By Andrea Aker
    January 3, 2011
  • Javelina

    How to Keep Javelinas Away from Your Yard

    By Andrea Aker
    November 23, 2011
  • Phil Motta
    on
    August 27, 2021

    Why Does Downtown Phoenix Seem to Have Two Downtowns?

    I know this post ...
  • Carol
    on
    October 17, 2020

    The Tucson Artifacts are the Southwest’s Greatest Hoax

    lol ... these "clues" ...

Follow us

© Copyright 2009 – 2023 Aker Ink, LLC :: Arizona Oddities is published by Aker Ink.