Collared peccary

Scientific name: Pecari tajacu

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Grey-brown body with a distinctive white or light-coloured collar band across the shoulders and neck. Males are slightly larger and more robust than females; both sexes have small eyes, dark bristly coats, and a musk gland on the rump.

Size and weight

Adults typically weigh 15–25 kg; body length 75–100 cm. Males average 2–3 kg heavier than females.

Habitat

Collared peccaries inhabit arid and semi-arid scrublands, desert washes, and thorny brush country from sea level to 1,500 m elevation. They favour areas with prickly pear, mesquite, and dense chaparral that provide both food and escape cover.

Distribution

Found from the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) south through Mexico and Central America to Paraguay and northern Argentina. They occupy dry brushy habitat and avoid dense forest and open grassland.

Diet

Peccaries root and forage for tubers, cacti (especially prickly pear), mast, grubs, and carrion; seasonal diet shifts toward available plant matter and invertebrates.

Behaviour

Most active at dawn and dusk, though they may move throughout the day; nocturnal in hot months. They travel in herds of 5–15 animals, following established trails and responding quickly to threats with vocalizations and foot-stomping.

Hunting tips

Look for distinctive sharp hoof tracks (smaller than deer), dark droppings along established trails, and rooted patches where they've dug for tubers. Approach upwind through dense brush using morning or evening light; they have poor eyesight but sharp hearing and scent. Stalk slowly near known travel corridors or water sources, moving with the wind and pausing frequently to listen for herd movement or alarm calls.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 17 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.