They travel in small herds of 15-20 individuals, searching for food using their excellent sense of smell. Peccaries mark territories with a skunk-like odor which is detectable from hundreds of feet away. Peccaries make snorting, woofing, and grunting noises. Peccaries are hoofed mammals that resemble pigs but are not closely related to pigs. These artiodactyls have a flat, rubbery, pig-like snout, short legs, and a stocky body.
Collared peccaries have a distinctive thin collar of white fur on the shoulders.
The javelina or collared peccary is primarily an herbivore . It eats a variety of plants, including the prickly pear cactus, roots, plant bulbs, grass shoots, fruit, nuts, berries, mushrooms, grubs, and eggs. Peccaries are hunted by many animals, including coyotes, bobcat , wild dogs, pumas , and jaguars .