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Collared Peccary
Pecari tajacu
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyTayassuidae (Peccaries)
- GenusPecari (Javelinas)
- SpeciesPecari tajacu (Collared Peccary)
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
229 Verified sightings at Big Bend National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,644 In all 25 parks
April Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted
About the Collared Peccary
The collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu) is a peccary, a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae. It is the only extant member of the genus Dicotyles. They are commonly referred to as javelina, saíno, taitetu, or báquiro, although these terms are also used to describe other species in the family. The species is also known as the musk hog. In Trinidad, it is colloquially known as quenk.
The species is found in the tropical and subtropical Americas. In the Miocene, the first Tayassuids appeared, which would give rise to the modern collared peccary, with these species belonging to the same genus and often being larger than it. It is believed that many of its ancestors initially appeared in North America, later migrating to South America and eventually giving rise to the modern Tayassu (Tayassu tajacu).
The collared peccary stands around 51–61 cm (20–24 in) tall at the shoulder and is about 1.0–1.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) long. It weighs between 16 and 27 kg (35 and 60 lb). The dental formula is: 2/3,1/1,3/3,3/3. The collared peccary has small tusks that point toward the ground when the animal is upright. It has slender legs with a robust... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Call0:27
Ecuador · 2020
© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1027030 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recording0:15
Colombia · 2025
© Núcleo Palmero Aceites Morichal S.A.S. · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:16
Brazil · 2022
© Matheus M. Santos · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Collared Peccary in Big Bend National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Big Bend National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Collared Peccary in Big Bend National Park?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Collared Peccary sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 21 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Collared Peccary in Big Bend National Park?
February and April
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Collared Peccary in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against about 30% in August, the lowest month. Those are among Big Bend National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in September.
What time of day is best to see a Collared Peccary?
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Collared Peccary sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Is Big Bend National Park the best place to see a Collared Peccary?
3rd of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Collared Peccary sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 3rd at about 40%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 70%) and Corcovado National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Collared Peccary live in Big Bend National Park?
Same order: Artiodactyla
The closest relatives of the Collared Peccary that you can see in Big Bend National Park (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are White-tailed Deer (about 60%), Aoudad (about 30%) and Mule Deer (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Collared Peccary sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Collared Peccary is recorded against all the mammals logged in Big Bend National Park (229 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
