White-lipped Peccary, Tayassu pecari

The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is native to Central and South America. It can be found in arid forests, rain forests, and chaco shrub. It is a diurnal species, being most active during the day, and lives in groups between 50 and 300 individuals on average, although larger herds have been recorded. Its diet consists of many plant materials like grasses, roots, and palm nuts, but it will also eat invertebrates.  It is mainly hunted by the jaguar, but it can also fall prey to the cougar. The white-lipped peccary appears on the IUCN Red List with a conservation status of “Near Threatened”.

Image Caption: White-lipped Peccary. Credit: Chrumps/Wikipedia(CC BY-SA 3.0)