Chacoan Peccaries
As bristly as the cacti they eat
Chacoan peccaries are perfectly adapted to their native range in the Gran Chaco region of South America. Their coat helps them to blend in and protects them from the thorns of their habitat. Small, agile feet help them to navigate their territory, where they are essential to seed dispersal thanks to their diet. Known for their pig-like snouts, peccaries have an excellent sense of smell, with well-developed nasal passages and sinuses to endure the region’s dryness.
- IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (at very high risk of extinction in the wild)
- Type: Mammal
- Habitat: Semi-arid Gran Chaco region of Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina
- Diet: Herbivore – cacti, fruit, and flowers
- Size: 20 to 27 inches tall
- Weight: 66 to 94 pounds
facts about our animals
Fun Facts about Chacoan Peccaries
Herds generally travel through their home range in a cycle lasting approximately 42 days.
Before consuming cacti, a peccary will roll it on the ground or use its teeth to remove spines.
Chacoan peccaries have specialized kidneys that help them to process the acid in cacti.
Peccaries are active from dawn to dusk.
They get 90% of their water from the plants they consume.
Although they are not ruminants, peccaries have two-chambered stomachs to digest cacti.
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