Catagonus wagneri (Rusconi, 1930)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Tayassuidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 292-307 : 304-305

1.

Chacoan Peccary

Catagonus wagneri

French: Pécari du Chaco / German: Chaco-Pekari / Spanish: Pecari del Chaco

Other common names: Giant Peccary

Taxonomy. Catagonus wagneri Rusconi, 1930 ,

Argentina.

No subspecies currently recognized, but this species remains poorly studied. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Bolivia (SE Santa Cruz, Tarija & probably E Chuquisaca), W Paraguay (Chaco), and N Argentina (Chaco, Formosa, E Salta & Santiago del Estero, and possibly NE Tucuman).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-117 cm, tail 2:4-10. 2 cm, shoulder height 52-69 cm; weight 29-5— 40 kg. This is the largest ofthe three commonly accepted extant species of peccaries. It has a generally shaggy appearance due to its long bristles. Thefuris brownish-gray with a collar ofpaler hairs across the shoulders and darker andstiffer hairs running down the back. It has white hairs around the mouth, andthe hair on the ears andlegs are paler than in Tayassu or Pecari. The head is larger than that ofthe other peccaries, and thesnout, ears, legs, andtail are longer. The nasal opening is also greater. Most individuals lack hind dewclaws. The molars are functionally lophodont, with higher crowns than the molars of otherliving peccaries, andare adaptedfor a grinding mastication. Males and females are similar in appearance.

Habitat. The Chacoan Peccaryis endemicto the dry Chaco of western Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia, and northern Argentina. It has a narrowclimatic and habitat tolerance andis typically found in dense, arid thorn forests in areas of low rainfall (less than 900 mm) and high temperature. This xerophytic forest is characterized by emergent trees, such as Schinopsis lorentzii and Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco, and several species of Prosopis . A dense shrub layer includes Ruprechtia triflora, Cercidium sp. , Caparis sp., and Acacia sp. There is typically a ground cover of bromeliads and cacti, such as Cereus, Opuntia, Cleistocactus baumannii, and Eriocereus guelichii. Chacoan Peccaries are also found at lower density in open woodland, characterized bytrees such as Tabebuia caraiba and Schinopsis balansae.

Food and Feeding. The Chacoan Peccary feeds on several species ofcacti, including Cleistocactus, Eriocereus, Quiabentia, and Opuntia. It is believedthat this species obtains all or most ofits water from cacti. In addition, it forages on the roots of bromeliads, fruit from various species of Acacia , and Prosopis . Occasionally it browses on fallen cactus flowers and forbs. They occasionally consume carrion and even prey on small mammals. Chacoan Peccaries regularly visit mineral licks opened byleafcutter ant mounds, road building, and land clearings. Minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, and chlorine are found in theselicks.

Breeding. Females have one litter a year, and produce theirfirst litters at a minimum age oftwo years, which is later than in the other two species. However, captive females in Paraguay have given birth as young as 1-2 years ofage. Some studies in Paraguay foundlittersizes varying between one and four with averages of 2-7, whereas another study estimated an average litter size of 1-7 for a wild population and presumed that this small litter size resulted from low reproductive rate or high neonate mortality. Gestation time in captivity has been found to be 151 days. Young are born almost yearround, although births probably peak during times of abundant food and rainfall. Females leave the herd to give birth. Newborns are well developed and are able to run a few hours after birth, and their pelage resembles that of adults. Maximumlongevity is unknown, but in the wildit is believedto reach at least nineyears. In captivity, animals have reachedten years and six months.

Activity patterns. Chacoan Peccaries become active about sunrise and are generally active throughout the day. During extremely intense hot spells they may rest during the day and forage more at night. However, their generally diurnal activity patterns are unusual in the Gran Chaco, one of the hottest environments in South America, and may be a defense strategy to avoid contact with the more nocturnal to crepuscular Jaguar (Panthera onca) and Puma (Felis concolor).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Chacoan Peccaries are territorial and use home ranges as large as 1100 ha with core areas of about 600 ha in the Paraguayan Chaco. Radio-tracked herds in Paraguay showed continuous movement within their home range, with daily ranges averaging 18 ha. These animals are social and live in small herds of 2-10 individuals, averaging around four, althoughit is also common to find solitary individuals. In hunted areas, group size averages are smaller (1-4 individuals). Herd size and density seem to depend on hunting intensity. Density estimates vary from less than 1 ind/km? to as high as 9-2 ind/km®. In the Argentine Chaco density varied from 0-17 ind/km? in hunted sites to 0-44 ind/km?® in non-hunted sites. The behavior ofthis species seems broadly similar to Collared Peccaries ( Pecari tajacu ), and includes use oflatrines, mutual scent marking, and marking trees and other objects by rubbing their scent glands against them. They use a varied repertoire of vocalizations to keep herd members together; although the tooth chattering alarm or threat call is heard less commonly than in the other species.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. This species’ geographical distribution has been reduced, and remaining populations are fragmented and declining. The species’ range in the Argentine Chaco has been reduced by approximately 40%, and it has disappeared from large areas. Patterns are similar in Bolivia and in the eastern Paraguayan Chaco. The total population size is unknown. In the early 1990s the population in Paraguay was estimated to be approximately 5000 individuals, and in 2002 the population in Argentina was estimated to be not larger than 3200 individuals. Similarly, the remaining population in Bolivia is probably at most several thousand individuals. A study conducted in the Argentine Chaco in 2003 found the Chacoan Peccary to be the rarest of the three species, and the most vulnerable to human disturbance. A combination of factors threatens this species, including hunting by humans, habitat destruction, diseases, and predation by large felids. Although evidence is sketchy, a major disease event may have led to a population crash in the Paraguayan Chaco during the 1980s. Chacoan Peccaries are hunted for their meat, even in national parks and reserves. The Chacoan Peccary’s hide is thinner and less valuable than those of the other two peccary species, butit was hunted commercially when demand for peccary pelts was high during the 1980s. Because it stands its ground rather than fleeing, this speciesis particularly susceptible to human hunters, who can eradicate whole groups in a single encounter. These peccaries also frequently dust-bathe in groups in open spaces, including on roads, and are active during the day, increasing their vulnerability. Habitat destruction is a major and growing threat. This trend is worsening, due to the commodity price boom driving deforestation. In the Paraguayan Chaco over 2000 km?* have been cleared annually in recent years. In Argentina, approximately 20% of the Chaco forest was lost between 1972 and 2001, equivalentto a rate of 2:2% a year. In Chaco and Santiago del Estero provinces, soy cropland has grown from 284,000 ha to 1,513,000 ha over the last ten years. In addition, habitat degradation due to cattle ranching, charcoal production, firewood harvest, and selective logging are impacting the whole region. In Bolivia, the around 35,000 km? Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area protects a huge area of the dry Chaco where Chacoan Peccaries have been observed, although population levels are unknown. Conditions in the rest of the Bolivian dry Chaco, in Chuquisaca and Tarija, are similar to those found in Argentina and Paraguay, with intensive agriculture expanding. Researchers estimate that across all three countries approximately 50% of the Chacoan Peccary habitat will be lost over a three-generation time period (18 years). In addition, hunting pressures will probably not diminish, further increasing the likelihood of extinction. More research, policy interventions, training, and an increase in public awareness are needed if this speciesis to survive in the wild.

Bibliography. Altrichter (2005, 2006), Altrichter & Boaglio (2004), Altrichter et al. (2008), Benirschke et al. (1990), Brooks (1992), Byrd et al. (1988), Maffei et al. (2008), Mayer & Brandt (1982), Mayer & Wetzel (1986), Neris et al. (2002), Noss (1999), Noss et al. (2003), Redford & Eisenberg (1992), Sowls (1984, 1997), Taber (1989, 1991, 1993), Taber et al. (1994, 1993), Wetzel (1977a, 1977b, 1981), Wetzel et al. (1975), Yahnke et al. (1997).

Figures

1. Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri), 2. Collared Peccary (Pecari tajacu)

Distribution. SE Bolivia (SE Santa Cruz, Tarija & probably E Chuquisaca), W Paraguay (Chaco), and N Argentina (Chaco, Formosa, E Salta & Santiago del Estero, and possibly NE Tucuman).