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Collared peccary

Pecari tajacu · Peccaries · Big game

Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu): Pig-like; grizzled black and gray with a dark stripe down the back. Whitish collar across the shoulders in adults. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the collared peccary map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Collared peccary walking through dry grass
Photo by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash
Scientific name
Pecari tajacu
Family
Tayassuidae
Range
Arizona, New Mexico and western and southern Texas, south through Mexico to Argentina; not in Canada. Introduced populations exist in north-central Texas.
Biology

How to identify it

Pig-like; grizzled black and gray with a dark stripe down the back. [1][2]

Whitish collar across the shoulders in adults. [1][2]

Young are reddish to yellowish brown with a black back stripe. [1][2]

Musk (scent) gland on the rump; adults about 35–55 lb. [1][2]

Compared with the feral hog: Peccaries are native New World animals, whereas pigs are Old World species introduced from Europe; the peccary shows a whitish shoulder collar. [1][2]

Species it is confused with

Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.

Field notes

  • Identification Do not identify Collared peccary from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Brushy semidesert where prickly pear is conspicuous; dense thickets, rocky canyons, chaparral and scrub oak. In Arizona from desert floor to about 7,000 ft, usually below 5,500 ft. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Lives in herds of a few to several dozen animals. [1][2]

Mainly active early morning and late afternoon, somewhat nocturnal; huddles on cool nights. [1][2]

Eats prickly pear and other succulents, roots, fruits, nuts and mesquite beans; leaves shredded cactus pads and uprooted plants. [1][2]

Communicates with grunts, growls and tooth 'pops'; very poor eyesight but a keen sense of smell. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Arizona, New Mexico and western and southern Texas, south through Mexico to Argentina; not in Canada. Introduced populations exist in north-central Texas.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. Natural Science Research Laboratory, Texas Tech University · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Natural Science Research Laboratory, Texas Tech University

  2. Arizona State Parks & Trails · reviewed 2026-09-30

    Arizona State Parks & Trails