Stan Tekiela Introduces Us to Javelinas
Learn about javelinas with an introduction from wildlife photographer and naturalist Stan Tekiela. Read on to find out more!
Often when I lead a photo tour, the group is looking for a specific bird or mammal—or perhaps a couple of species. For example, I was recently leading a tour in central New Mexico, and the highlighted subjects for this trip were large flocks of lovely snow geese and sandhill cranes.
Both of these birds spend the winter in this region in large numbers, so it’s a good destination to capture images of them. But for me, it isn’t the iconic or most-abundant species that often catch my attention. No, for me, it’s usually the species that aren’t common or well-known.
So, one morning, while trying to find something interesting to photograph, I noticed some movement ahead of us on the right side of a one-lane gravel road. I could see movement, and it appeared to be more than just a single critter. Because I’m familiar with the wildlife in this area, I knew the only possibility of several larger mammals moving in a single file would have to be javelinas (Dicotyles tajacu). The name is pronounced “ha-vuh-lee-nuh.“ It’s a Spanish word, so you pronounce the “Ja” as “Ha.”
Don’t feel bad if you don’t recognize the name of this animal. Javelinas are also called collared peccaries. These mammals are pig-like ungulates, which means they are animals with hooves that look superficially like pigs. They use only the middle two digits on each foot to walk. The other toes are absent. They are not related to farmyard pigs, even though everyone who sees a javelina automatically assumes they are. Javelinas are New World animals that are found only in Central and South America and in parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Full-grown adult javelinas are 3 to 4 feet in length and weigh 50 to 90 pounds. So, right there, you can see the javelinas are much smaller than traditional farmyard pigs, which weigh 500 or 600 pounds. Unlike farmyard pigs, which have large, floppy ears, javelinas have small, round ears. The tails of pigs are long and have a tassel of hair. The tails of javelinas are very small and hard to see. And javelinas are covered in a thick coat of fur, unlike pigs.
The javelina’s stomach is also different from a pig’s. It is not a ruminant, but instead it has three chambered stomachs and a foregut for fermentation. I won’t bore you to death, but let’s just say that pigs are hindgut fermenters and assure you they are very different.
Javelinas are social animals that live in small herds of 6 to 10. A group of javelinas is called a squadron. They are omnivores and will eat insects, seeds, fruit, roots, and grasses; they especially like prickly pear cacti. They are also known to eat small mammals or scavenge other dead animals.
When I spotted the javelinas in front of us, I had to get my group close enough for some pictures without scaring them and pushing them away. Fortunately, they were facing away from my group as we approached, and they weren’t looking behind, so we quickly moved up without the javelinas noticing. Three or four of them crossed the dirt road and quickly disappeared into the thick brush. We thought, dang, they didn’t stop long enough for anyone to capture a few images.
I indicated to my group that we should just wait in silence to see what would happen. A few minutes later, one of the adult javelinas popped out of the thick brush on the other side of the road and paused, looking straight at us. We all raised our cameras, and we were able to capture some amazing images of this very unique animal.
The moment didn’t last more than a minute or so, and suddenly the javelinas were gone. Now came the fun part—explaining to my group of photographers what they just saw and helping educate them about the differences between the amazing javelina and the farmyard pig.
About the author: Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela has published more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 35 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.
Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, Stan’s syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.
If you enjoyed Stan’s post, you might also like: Cranes, Herons & Egrets, Bird Migration: The Incredible Journeys of North American Birds, Wild Birds: North America’s Most Unique Birds, Bald Eagles: The Ultimate Raptors, Owls: The Majestic Hunters, Hummingbirds: Marvels of the Bird World, and, for little tykes, his series of Mamas & Babies board books.
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