Chacoan Peccary
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| Catagonus wagneri Wetzel et al., 1975 |
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The Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri), is the closest living relative to the extinct genus Platygonus. It is found in the dry shrub habitat or Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia,Brazil and Argentina. About 3000 exist in this world.
The Chacoan peccary has the unusual distinction of having been first described based on fossils and was originally thought to be only an extinct species. In 1975 the animal was discovered to still be alive and well in the Chaco region of Paraguay. The species was well known to the native people, but it took a while for scientists to rediscover its existence.
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[edit] Geographic Range
Catagonus wagneri, more commonly known as the Chacoan peccary, is endemic to the South American countries of Paraguay, Bolivia,Argentina and Southern Brazil.
[edit] Habitat
Chacoan peccaries have received the nickname "pigs from green hell" because of their wild, inpenetrable habitats. The Chacoan peccary is truly confined to hot, dry areas inpenetrable and untouched by humans. Dominated by low-lying succulents and thorny bushes, the Gran Chaco is approximately 140,000 square kilometers. There are a few scattered giant trees, but the majority of the vegetation is thorny scrub vegetation . Catagonus have developed adaptations like well-developed sinuses to combat dry, dusty conditions. The feet are also small, which allows maneuverability among spiny plants.
[edit] Physical characteristics
The largest of the three species of peccary, Catagonus wagneri has many "pig-like" features . The Chacoan peccary is an ungulate possessing a well-formed rostrum with a tough, leathery snout. The bristle-like fur is generally brown to almost gray. A dark stripe runs across the back, and white fur is found on the shoulders. C. wagneri differs from the its fellow peccary species by having longer ears, snout, and tail. It has white hairs around the mouth, unlike other peccaries. Catagonus wagneri also possesses a third hind toe, while other peccaries only have two . The hypsodont teeth follow this dental formula: 2/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3 . The upper canines also display the distinguishing trait of peccaries, pointing downwards instead of out and up like other Suiformes.
[edit] Reproduction
Young are generally born between the months of September to December, but litters have been found almost year-round. Births have been linked to periods of food abundance and rainfall . The average number of embryos has been recorded as approximately 2.72 . Females may leave the herd to give birth and then return afterwards. Newborns are precocial, able to run a few hours after birth . The pelage of the young resembles that of the adults . There is no sexual dimorphism.
[edit] Behavior
Chacoan peccaries often travel in herds of up to ten individuals . The herds are different from those of other species because they are active during the day, especially in the morning when they are most apt to travel. Herds display a general travel cycle within the homerange of 42 days. This allows the individuals to monitor and show ownership over their areas.
These social mammals communicate by various sounds ranging from grunts to chatters of the teeth. Even though individuals may occassionally exhibit aggressive behavior like charging and biting, this species is not as aggressive as others.
As a defensive strategy, members of a herd may line up in a defensive wall; this makes the herds easy targets for hunters. Catagonus wagneri produces a milky, odorous substance that serves as an identifying mark left by the Chacoan peccary. The substance is secreted from glands located on the back, and is dispersed by rubbing . Frequently bathing in mud or dust, Chacoan peccaries also defecate at particular "stations" .
[edit] Food Habits
The arid habitat of the Gran Chaco region provides very tough vegetation for C. wagneri. These peccaries feed on various species of cacti, species like Cleistocactus baumannii and Opuntia discolor. C. wagneri uses its tough snout to roll the cacti on the ground, rubbing the spines off. The Chacoan peccary may pull off the spines with its teeth and spit them out. The kidneys of Catagonus wagneri are specialized to break down acids from the cacti. The two-chambered stomachs are also well suited to digest tough foods like cacti . Occassionally grazing on bromeliad roots, C. wagneri also eats acacia pods and fallen cacti flowers. This species of peccary seeks out salt licks formed from ant mounds and construction projects like road building and land clearings. The Chacoan peccary gains essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and chlorine from the salt licks.
[edit] Conservation Status
Because the Chacoan peccary is endemic to a formerly isolated region of South America, it is most vulnerable to human activity. Just as quickly as this species is discovered in an area, it disappears . Herd numbers are decreasing as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation . The range of the Chacoan peccary is being quickly tranformed into large Texas-style ranches. Hunting also continues as well as an unidentified disease that has plagued the herds in recent years . Efforts are underway to breed Chacoan peccaries in captivity, but the species does not survive well outside of the wild. Preserves have also been established in Paraguay, but are not highly enforced .
[edit] References
- Mayer, J. J. & Wetzel, R. M. (1986). "Catagonus wagneri." Mammalian Species 259, 1-5.
- Wetzel, R. M. (1977a). "The extinction of peccaries and a new case of survival." Annals of the New York Academy of Science 288, 538-544.
- Wetzel, R. M. (1977b). "The Chacoan peccary, Catagonus wagneri (Rusconi)." Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 3, 1-36.
- Wetzel, R. M., Dubos, R. E., Martin, R. L. & Myers, P. (1975). "Catagonus, an 'extinct' peccary alive in Paraguay." Science 189, 379-381.
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