Chacoan Peccary, Catagonus wagneri 2001

Fact Summary Taxonomy and Nomenclature Distribution and Habitat Physical Characteristics Behavior and Ecology Diet and Feeding Reproduction and Development Diseases and Pathology Population and Conservation Status  Managed Care Bibliography

• The word peccary is believed to originate from pakirá, a name for peccaries in a Guiana dialect of a Carib root word.
• One derivation of the word Chaco is the Quechuan chacu, meaning an abundance of animal life.
• Native names for Chacoan peccary include: taguá (a Guaraní name referring to its ability to make paths into virtually impenetrable areas), curé-buró (a word of Guaraní and Spanish origin, which means "pig-burro" in reference to its long ears), pecari quimilero, and chancho quimilero; the quimil cactus, Opuntia quimilo, is an important source of food and water for the Chacoan peccary.

• Fossils of the family Tayassuidae are known from America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, but most of the fossil record is from North America. True pigs, family Suidae, never occurred naturally in the Western Hemisphere.
• Tayassuids diverged from a common ancestor with suids in Eurasia during the late Eocene.
• The three living species of peccaries are Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), and white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari). Prior to 1972, C. wagneri was known only as an extinct species from the pre-Hispanic period of Argentina.
• Skeletal data indicate that the closest living relative of the Chacoan peccary is the collared peccary; however, mitochondrial-DNA evidence points to the white-lipped peccary as being its closest living relative. Catagonus, Pecari, and Tayassu apparently diverged in North America during the Pliocene and before they colonized South America.
• Benirschke & Kumamoto (1989) suggest, on the basis of chromosome number (2n), that P. tajacu (2n = 30) and T. pecari (2n = 26) are closer than C. wagneri (2n = 20) to the ancestral chromosome number. On the other hand, skeletal material indicates that T. pecari is the most modern of peccary species.

Distribution: Peccaries occur from the southwestern United States to central Argentina. The Chacoan peccary is endemic to the generally hot and dry Gran Chaco of western Paraguay, northwestern Argentina, and southeastern Bolivia. Distribution is fragmented, possibly due to intense hunting pressure following increased accessibility (i.e., development) of the Chaco.

Distribution map from  B. Huffman's Ultimate Ungulate Page

• A mosaic of xerophytic thorn forest, open woodland with dense grass and sparse cactus, and agricultural land.
• Chacoan peccaries evidently adapt to land degraded by fire and overgrazed by livestock as long as ample food and cover are available and they are not overhunted.
• Home ranges in Paraguay were 3.8-15.5 sq km; little overlap. Dispersing animals have occupied three discrete ranges and moved 4.6 km during a 9-month period. Movement within the home range is continual.

• Sexes are nearly indistinguishable in the field.
• Skeletal characteristics of primitive and recent species of peccaries indicate an evolutionary trend of reduced sexual dimorphism.

• Coloration is grizzled and includes various shades of gray-brown, black, and white and is similar to, though paler than, the collared peccary. The Chacoan peccary has a dark, mid-dorsal stripe and a diffuse, pale band that extends from the lower jaw to the back just behind the shoulder (the band is less distinct than in the collared peccary).
• Long hairs give it a shaggy appearance. Winter hairs are nearly 5 cm longer and thicker in diameter than summer hairs.
• Pelage of juveniles (until the age of 3-4 months) is grizzled tan and black, with a black back stripe, tan shoulder collar, and white underside.

• Peccaries are distinguishable from pigs by having upper canines that are relatively small and point down, as opposed to the large, upper canines of pigs that curve upward and outward. Peccaries, like pigs, have four toes on the frontfoot, but pigs have four toes on the hindfoot, while there are just two functional toes on the hindfoot of peccaries. Pecari tajacu and T. pecari have a vestigial, median digit (dewclaw) on the back of the hindfoot, but this is usually absent in C. wagneri.
• The Chacoan peccary is distinguishable from the collared peccary and white-lipped peccary by its larger size, longer dorsal pelage, and a longer, more concave rostrum (skull's facial region). It also has a proportionally larger head and longer ears, legs, and tail.
• Longer limbs and loss of the hindfoot dewclaw are adaptations for a cursorial life in open, semiarid habitats. Also beneficial for living in open habitats is the skull's curvature, which permits horizontal vision while foraging with head down.
• Females have four pairs of mammae (one pair pectoral, two pairs abdominal, and one pair inguinal).
• Large scent gland on the rear of the back, about 15 cm above the base of the tail.
• Nasal chambers and sinuses are well-developed, possibly an adaptation to the dusty conditions found during much of the year in the Chaco.
• Dental formula is: incisors, 2/3; canines, 1/1; premolars, 3/3; molars, 3/3; total, 38. Tooth structure suggests the Chacoan peccary is a browser, and broadened molars emphasize grinding mastication.
• Olfaction and hearing are good; vision is poor.

• Active from dawn to dusk (0600-0730 to 1830-1930 h), but most activity occurs before midday (varies with season, individual, and temperature. During the hottest and coldest weather, for example, they may be active for 1-2 hours in the middle of the night.
• Herds move from their bedding areas to foraging areas after sunrise and feed throughout the day, although all activity may wane at early afternoon during hot weather.
• Nighttime resting sites are used only 2-3 nights in succession. Rest sites are shallow depressions in the soil, one for each animal, and located within 100 m of a communal defecation site (scat station). A scat station is used periodically over months or even years.
• Chacoan peccaries use dust and mud wallows. Adults rest in the shade of low brush or tall trees during the heat of the day, spending the time lying close to herd members, rolling in the dirt, nuzzling each other, or grooming; infants and juveniles actively frisk about and chase one another around the resting adults. Thick brush may give herds refuge from dust storms.
• Average daily movement is 2.2 km. Herds move in single file when travelling through thorn forest, but they spread out in open areas.

• Herds are small stable groups of males and females that remain together for >1 year; they are probably extended family groups. Benirschke & Heuschele (1993) reported that a matriarch appeared to be the dominant animal in three separate captive herds.
• Average herd size is 3.7-4.6 individuals (range 1-10), the smallest social group among the three species of peccaries.
• If a herd is startled and becomes separated, herd individuals attempt to reunite.

• Gregarious and territorial. The Chacoan peccary's habit of scent marking, use of scat stations, limited overlap between home ranges, and where their ranges do overlap, use of the same area at different times suggest that defended areas (i.e., territories) are maintained.
• Home ranges sometimes overlap with those of collared peccary (by as much as 88%) and white-lipped peccary. Interspecific avoidance may be facilitated by scent marking.

• Neonates often engage in leaping and running in circles for short periods ("frisky hopping").
• Play fighting in younger animals includes charging, biting, and whirl-arounds.
• Younger animals are often at play while adults are foraging, moving, or resting.

• Non-fighting aggression usually involves squabbles among yearlings over a food item or mutual threats by two individuals over soil feeding sites on ant mounds. Pelage is erect during these encounters.
• Dominance interactions involve charging, biting, and whirl-arounds; dominance is apparently determined by size, but as indicated above, gender may also be involved.
• The Chacoan peccary seems to be less aggressive than other peccary species. For instance, squabbles are brief and often end quickly with one or both animals backing off.

• A "head-down" or "head-bowing" posture is associated with curiosity.
• Lying with belly on the ground and head/neck stretched out flat indicates submission.

• Lengthy duets of soft grunts often occur between herd members.
• A single "woof" often accompanies head bowing.
• On very hot days, occasional "mewling" sounds are made when they lie in the shade and pant.
• Teeth chattering, a common vocalization signaling aggression in other species of peccaries, is uncommon in the Chacoan peccary. 

• Scent-gland secretions are rubbed or squirted on tree trunks and fence posts. Scent marking apparently functions to keep the herd together, recognize individuals, and delineate territories. Scent marking is more frequent in areas of heavy herd use (e.g., scat stations, wallows, and ant-mound feeding sites), and herd members often scent mark one another. This mutual rubbing is done as two animals stand side-by-side, in opposite direction, and each simultaneously rubs one cheek on the other's scent gland. When Chacoan peccaries are alarmed, the scent gland may squirt liquids as they flee with hair fully erect
• Defecation is generally done at scat stations, areas 2-12 sq m in size.

• Easily tamed by indigenous people and kept either as pets or as food animals.
• Easily alarmed by other large animals taking flight (e.g., brocket deer and chachalacas) and humans. After running a short distance into cover, peccaries stop and look back at the cause of their flight.

• Frugivores/herbivores: eat mainly fruits and other fleshy plant parts.
• Cacti form the bulk of the diet, but also roots and inner portions of bromeliads, seed pods of Acacia sp. and Prosopis sp. (mesquite), and herbs.  Animals at Proyecto Taguá ate empty shells of large land snails, and a dwarf Patagonian cavy was killed and eaten on one occasion (Benirschke et al.,1990).
• Compared to the collared peccary, which feeds less on cacti, the Chacoan peccary's ability to feed almost exclusively on such a lower quality diet may be facilitated by its larger body size, which relates to its larger gut contents and a lower metabolic rate. Digestive fermentation is aided by its complex stomach; peccaries have a two-chambered stomach consisting of four main sections, whereas pigs have a simple, one-chambered stomach.
• Soil is often eaten at salt licks and at leaf-cutter ant (Atta sp.) mounds. These ant mounds have significantly higher concentrations of calcium, magnesium, chlorine, and sodium than the surrounding soil.
• Core foraging areas include cactus patches, which are sporadically distributed in thorn forest habitat. Daily ranges average 18.25 ha, and a particular range is used about every 42 days. This 42-day cycle allows cactus-rich areas to regenerate, thus, enabling peccaries to maximize nutrient intake.
• Home ranges lack surface water during the dry season, indicating that cacti (90% water by weight) provide Chacoan peccaries with sufficient water. They occasionally drink water in captivity. Because its kidneys are more able to concentrate urine and thus conserve additional water, the Chacoan peccary can live in drier areas than the collared peccary.
• Daily food intake is estimated to be 4 kg.

• Farrowing season is September-January. Most wild births in Paraguay (93%) occur September through October, a period that coincides with the transition from the dry (May-October) to the wet season (November-April). Captive births at Proyecto Taguá occur throughout the year but peak September-November. 
• Lone females may leave the herd just prior to parturition and rejoin it in about a week. Young usually remain under their dam or close alongside her. 
• Able to run within 2 hours of birth. 
• At birth: Deciduous teeth consist of the third lower incisor and lower and upper canines.  
  

• Pelage coloration (until the age of 3-4 months) is grizzled tan and black, with a black back stripe, tan shoulder collar, and white underside. 
• Neonates are precocial and travel with the herd at less than 1 week of age. Observations at Proyecto Taguá suggest that group tolerance and acceptance of infants is greater than in other species of peccaries. 
• Begin to eat solid food at 14-17 days. 
• During 1st week: Body weight is 500-1,050 g. Two females born at Phoenix Zoo weighed 900 and 1,050 g, respectively, at 2 days of age (GL Thomas, personal communication).  
• At about 1 month:  
• Body weight is 2-2.9 kg. 
• Body (snout-tail) length is 46 cm. 
• Deciduous teeth consist of the third lower incisor, lower and upper canines, and the first and second, lower and upper premolars. 

• Body weight is 4.5-18 kg. 
• Body length is 78-93 cm (males) to 91-95 cm (females). 
• Adult coloration at 3-4 months of age. 
• Deciduous dentition is complete: 2/3, incisors; 1/1, canines; 3/3, premolars; total, 26. 
• In a 1.7-hectare enclosure, young visited a feeding station independent of adults as early as 70 days of age. 
• Scent gland grooming begins at this stage of development. 

• Body weight is 23-24.5 kg (females) and 23.5-24 kg (males). 
• Body length is 97-104 cm (males) to 100-122 cm (females). 
• Most deciduous teeth are replaced with permanent teeth. 
• Chacoan peccaries in the wild possibly breed around 2 years of age, but in captivity, conception can occur before 1 year; female collared peccaries reach first estrus as early as 33 weeks. 
• Sexual maturity: 16-24 months.

• Body weight is 29.5-40 kg (males) and 30.5-38.5 kg (females); 43.5 kg for a pregnant female. 
• Body length is 96-116 cm (males) to 103-117 cm (females). 
• Permanent dentition is in place. 

• Annual mortality in the Paraguayan Chaco was 47%. Among captive animals at Proyecto Taguá (western Paraguay), mortality was 50% between birth and 3 months of age and 4% between 3 and 12 months.
• Mountain lions and jaguars are known predators; ocelots may prey on young.
• Mountain lions and jaguars are known predators; ocelots may prey on young.

• Foot-and-mouth disease and bovine rabies were common in domestic livestock during the late 1970s, when Chacoan peccaries in northern and western Paraguay reportedly died from disease. 
• Mortality in captive animals has been related to capture trauma, crowding, and malnutrition.
• Neonates have succumbed to bronchopneumonia, competition with older offspring for maternal milk, wasp stings, and infanticide.

• IUCN status:  Endangered
• CITES:  Appendix I
• Populations of the Chacoan peccary are declining and becoming more fragmented. Total numbers are unknown but estimated to be 5,000 in Paraguay and several thousand in Argentina and Bolivia.
• Population densities in the central Paraguayan Chaco were 0.43 and 9.24/sq km. Proportions of age classes in the sparser population were estimated as follows: <2 years old, 20%; 2-3 years old, 47%; 3-5 years old, 20%; >5 years old, 13%. This population was in decline as a result of high annual mortality (47%), probably high neonatal mortality, a single breeding season/year, and late age at first reproduction (ca. 2 years).

1. create a national park where a large peccary population remains
2. establish private reserves to protect other significant populations
3. enforce hunting regulations
4. use the Chacoan peccary as a "flagship species" to support environmental education programs for the Gran Chaco
5. strengthen wildlife management efforts aimed at monitoring populations
6. captive breeding
7. translocate animals from areas being deforested to parks
8. continue research projects directed at making effective management

• habitat destruction
• uncontrolled hunting
• predation by larger felids
• probably livestock diseases

• First zoological collection known to exhibit the Chacoan peccary outside its natural range was Berlin Zoo in 1977-1978 (ML Jones, personal communication).
• Since 1985, Proyecto Taguá in the Paraguayan Chaco has maintained the largest collection of Chacoan peccaries in captivity. This project was initiated by Kurt Benirschke and has been supported by the Zoological Society of San Diego and Lincoln Park Zoological Society.
• Phoenix Zoo was the first in North America to exhibit the species, receiving 10 animals from Proyecto Taguá in 1996.
• San Diego Zoo received 1.3 Chacoan peccaries from Phoenix 8 October 1998, and 1.1 were born 30 May 1999.
• Management and husbandry considerations are reviewed by Kingswood & Brooks (1991) and Shoemaker (1997). Chemical immobilization is detailed by Allen (1992).
• ISIS captive population

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