White-lipped peccary

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White-lipped peccary
Temporal range: Pliocene–present
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Tayassuidae
Genus: Tayassu
Fischer von Waldheim, 1814
Species:
T. pecari
Binomial name
Tayassu pecari
(Link, 1795)
Range of the white-lipped peccary (note that the
Central American part of its range is much more fragmented in actuality and that its presence in El Salvador
is erroneous)
Synonyms
  • Sus pecari (Link, 1795)

The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a

cream). The range of T. pecari, which extends from Mexico to Argentina, has become fragmented, and the species's population is declining overall (especially in Mexico and Central America). They can be found in a variety of habitats. Social
animals, white-lipped peccaries typically forage in large groups, which can have as many as 300 peccaries.

They are an important part of their ecosystem and multiple efforts are being made to preserve them in the wild. Not all disappearances are explained, but human activities play a role, with two major threats being deforestation and hunting; the latter is very common in rural areas, although it can be dangerous, as white-lipped peccaries can be aggressive. They are hunted for both their hide and meat.

Taxonomy

The white-lipped peccary was first described by

monotypic genus Tayassu by Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim in 1814.[7][8]

Subspecies

There are five recognized subspecies:[7]

  • T. p. pecari (Link, 1795)
  • T. p. aequatoris (Lönnberg, 1921)
  • T. p. albirostris (
    Illiger
    , 1815)
  • T. p. ringens (Merriam, 1901)
  • T. p. spiradens (Goldman, 1912)

Evolution

The

semi-arid in the Late Pleistocene.[9]

Hybrids

The white-lipped peccary is capable of producing offspring with the

peccary family. This has been recorded at the London Zoo and Manaus Zoo, but never in the wild.[10]

Description

The skull
The head

The white-lipped peccary is a piglike

canine teeth than females.[5] They possess a scent gland, which is found at the posterior middorsal region.[10]

Distribution and habitat

The white-lipped peccary is native to

xerophytic areas, as well as the Cerrado ecoregion of Brazil.[1] They range from sea level to an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft).[1] Their range overlaps with that of the collared peccary.[11]

A 2018 study found that they had disappeared from 87% of their historical range in Mesoamerica (which the study defined as everywhere between southern Mexico and Panama), and were in "critical condition" in the seven Mesoamerican countries they still inhabited.[12] Studies by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found similar information, with a reported decline of 89% in Costa Rica and 84% in Mexico and Guatemala.[13]

Behavior and ecology

A group in São Paulo Zoo

White-lipped peccaries generally move from place to place in large herds. Unlike D. tajacu, which travels single-file, T. pecari moves in broad groups.[5] Group sizes can range from under ten (while uncommon, groups as small as five have been recorded[1]) to as many as 300. Especially large groups are rarer now than they were historically, due to the declining population of T. pecari.[12] The average group size in a fragmented area of the Atlantic Forest was found to be around 42, although herds frequently come into contact with one another and interbreed.[1] Juvenile peccaries have been found to make up no more than 20% of herds in studies.[5]

As mentioned previously, the range of T. pecari overlaps with that of D. tajacu. This overlap is significant, with both found in similar habitats across the

bite force is at least 1.3 times as great as that of the collared peccary. This may help to explain how the two manage to coexist over such a large area, as the study also found that they consumed different kinds of seeds and nuts when foraging in the same area. The measured resistance of these seeds and nuts was found to be consistent with the bite forces of the two peccary species.[6]

They can produce screaming noises and clack their teeth when they travel in herds, which allows them to be heard from hundreds of meters away facilitating “group coherence” and intimidating potential predators. In common with other peccaries,

GBIF writes that "their vocal repertoire includes low-frequency barking, growling, moaning, high-pitched squealing, and tooth clacking."[14]

Feeding

White-lipped peccaries forage for food, frequently doing so in

Predation

White-lipped peccaries are an important prey for large felines.

Reproduction and life cycle

T. pecari breeds year-round. The

gestation period of about 158 days, two young are usually born. They are capable of moving with the rest of the herd just hours after birth.[5]

Conservation

The white-lipped peccary is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Its population is currently decreasing, despite protective measures.[1] It is also listed on Appendix II on CITES and has been listed there since 1987.[17]

Threats

The white-lipped peccary faces numerous threats. The large amount of space they require makes them very threatened by

protected areas to keep their habitat safe from human activity. When their habitat becomes fragmented, they are at more risk of being hunted by humans, as their tendency to move in large herds makes them easy to spot. Hunters can kill many at once.[15] Even light hunting can be a threat in areas with limited resources and naturally lower population densities. In several areas of Brazil, seemingly healthy populations have become locally extinct. Their population has declined about 30% in the last 18 years, with current estimates suggesting a similar trend going into the future.[1] Unexplained disappearances have been documented in multiple areas and are suspected to be caused by disease.[13]

Conservation efforts

The white-lipped peccary already occurs in multiple protected areas, including the

gloves,[1] the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has worked in Peru since 1980 to keep hunting sustainable and monitor populations.[20]

Relationship with humans

T. pecari is frequently hunted by both the

dogs—and are typically hunted in groups. They generally stand their ground when attacked; as such, multiple individuals can be killed before the herd flees. Their scent gland is usually removed just after killing to avoid negatively affecting the taste of their meat.[5] Peru permits their subsistence hunting in settlements with under 3,000 inhabitants.[1]

References

  1. ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. S2CID 222846767
    .
  4. ^ "Explore the Database". Mammaldiversity.org. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  5. ^
    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Archived from the original
    on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  6. ^ . Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Mammal Species of the World - Browse: pecari". www.departments.bucknell.edu. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Tayassu pecari Link 1795 (white-lipped peccary)". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  9. ^
    S2CID 83520280
    .
  10. ^ a b c John J. Mayer; Ralph M. Wetzel (1987). Tayassu pecari.
  11. ^ a b c "Peccary". sandiegozoo.org. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Rapid decline of White-Lipped Peccary Populations in Mesoamerica" (PDF). November 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  13. ^
    IUCN
    . 2 July 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  14. . Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  15. ^ a b "White-lipped Peccary". worldlandtrust.org. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  16. ^ Watt, E. Melanie (18 September 2020). "New video of peccaries mobbing a jaguar shows predator-prey interactions go both ways". Massive Science. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  17. ^ "White-lipped Peccary". cites.org. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Honduras". worldlandtrust.org. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  19. ^ Patterson, B. D.; Stotz, D. F. & Solari, S. (2006). "Mammals and birds of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru" (PDF). Fieldiana: Zoology. New series. 110: 1–49. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Huangana". peru.wcs.org (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 April 2022.

Notes

  1. ^ Although identified by the American Society of Mammalogists as Dicotyles tajacu,[3][4] some sources incorrectly describe the collared peccary as another member of Tayassu.[5][6]

Further reading