Bill Bateman, age 15, of Carson City, Nev., for his question:
IS THE PECCARY A PIG?
The peccary is an American animal that is a member of the swine family. But it is not a true pig. Sometimes it is called a wild pig, a musk hog or a javelina. It is about three feet long and weighs about 50 pounds.
A peccary has only three toes on its hind foot instead of fou=, and no visible tail. Although its snout and body build are piglike, its tusks turn downward. On its back are musk glands that give off an unpleasant odor.
You'll find the peccary living wild from southern Texas, New Mexico and Arizona southward through South America.
A peccary's diet includes nuts, grain and vegetables. At times it will kill small animals including snakes. A heard of peccaries sometimes will uproot a whole field, much to the displeasure of the farmer.
There are two types: the white lipped peccary from Central and South America that has a band of white from its chin to its eyes, and the collared peccary that has a grayish white band from its shoulder to its chest.