Fonda J. Spinks, age 12, of Baton Rouge, La., for her question:
What kind of animals are peccaries?
The peccaries arc pig type animals of the new world, and, like the wild boars, they often roam in packs. Peop1e fear them and claim that the tough little fellows will attack a human being. But reliable experts tell us that this is not likely. Peccaries are the dedicated enemies of rattlers, but, we are assured, they are very shy of human beings.
The peccary belongs to the mammal order Artiodactyla, Meaning the even fingered ones. These fellows are hoofed animals that walk on the third and fourth toe Of each foot. Many of the even toed, hoofed animals are cud chewers. But the peccary is not. Some experts place him in the suborder called suiformes, and he has the most amazing assortment of cousins in the world.
With their various tusks, bristles, warts and glaring expressions, the peccaries are not famous for their beauty. Many of them have the biggest mouth of any land animal and he seems mighty proud of it. He is, of eourse, the hippo, Mr. Bigmouth himself. The title of World's Least Beautiful Animal would certainly go to the Wart hog, who is a Suiforme.
By now you have guessed that the peccary is no beauty. He looks for all the world like a very bristly, sad eyed pig. However, he does not have the pig's floppy ears. His ears are smallish and oval.. The boars and other wild pigs have tusks which stab upward from the lower jaw. The peccary has straight tusks which poke down from the upper ,jaw.
In other respects, the peccary is a wild pig who enjoys life in Central and South America. As a rule, he travels with a herd of perhaps 200 to 300 friends and relatives, and the harmless creatures dine on roots, tubers and other plant food. They eat a few worms, snakes and other small animals, and the sight of a rattlesnake drives them to fury.
When the Peccary spots his enemy, the rattler, he charges, jerks to a stop and pretends to attack. This goads the snake, who uncoils to strike. In a flash, the Peccary arched his bristling back, leaps into the air and lands on the helpless Snake with all four of his little sharp feet. Time after time he leaps and lands until the snake is cut into shreds.
The collared peccary, alias the musk hog, is found from the woods of Arkansas way south to Patagonia. He is about three feet long, and his dark, bristly coat is set off by a lighter collar. The white lipped Peccary is a little larger, and he roams in herds from Southern Mexico to Paraguay. The hide of the Peccary is used to make g1oves, and the soft skin is dotted with pinpricks in neat sets of three. The small holes are left by the stiff bristles which the Peccary wore during his lifetime.