White-lipped peccary
White-lipped Peccary
The White-lipped Peccary ( Tayassu pecari ) is a species of peccaries.
Features
The White-lipped Peccary is larger and darker colored than the collared peccary and has a longer neck mane. Cheeks, nose and lips are white. The body length is 90-130 cm, the shoulder height 44-60 cm and weight 20-50 kg. Males and females are about the same.
Dissemination
The distribution area extends from southern Mexico through Central America and the north-east of South America as far south as Argentina.
Way of life
Although the White-lipped Peccary also inhabits dry forests and savannah, it generally prefers the dense tropical rain forest. It does not penetrate as the collared peccary in dry semi-desert. In the diet, it is similar to the other peccaries and how these omnivorous, which ransacked the ground for nuts, roots and invertebrates and receiving fruits, leaves and small animals on the surface. Against their enemies to defend Weißbartpekaris, while passing in large numbers to attack. Then they are considered very dangerous and even suggest cougars and jaguars in the escape. Despite this, the big cats always, even to tear old animals. Young animals have to fear giant snakes and crocodiles. Stamp of the Weißbartpekaris are larger than the other two Pekari species and may include several hundred animals. They also roam far larger areas, which may include up to 200 square kilometers. Possibly related to their preference for nuts and seeds together that are incurred at each far-flung places only temporarily in large quantities when the fruits of certain species of trees are ripe. The mostly two young are born after a gestation period of about 160 days. A fixed mating season not know Weißbartpekaris. In captivity, an animal reached the age of 21 years.
Inventory and risk
Due to the large home ranges of these animals require large unspoiled wilderness areas, as they are now less and less in their homeland. The development of the habitats not only leads to habitat loss, but also facilitates the hunting of the animals, which is an additional threat. In Uruguay, the White-lipped Peccary was apparently wiped out 100 years ago and in northern Argentina took its stock figures from also. The subspecies T. p. ringens and T. p. spira dens from Central America and northern Colombia of their former distribution area were displaced from the largest parts.
The White-lipped Peccary is led by the World Conservation Union IUCN Red List of endangered species and rated as vulnerable ( Vulnerable ). The reasons for this classification are the decline of the population by 30% over the last 18 years, habitat loss, illegal hunting, competition with livestock grazing and epidemics. Suppose is also that the reduction of the population is sustained in the coming years.