Since its original discovery at Hagerman, Pearce's peccary has been found near Grand View Idaho and at White Bluffs, Washington. People often confuse peccaries, which are found in the New World, with pigs which originated in the Old World, especially since some domestic pigs brought by european settlers have escaped over the years and now run wild in many parts of the United States. These feral pigs are popularly known as razor-back hogs. Relatives of the Old World pigs include the wart hog of Africa. In the Old World pigs the tusk is long and curves around on itself, whereas in the New World peccaries the tusk is short and straight.
Peccaries are plant eaters and use it for defense.
By rubbing the tusks together they can make a chattering noise that warns potential predators to not get too close. Today there are three living species of peccary. They are found from the southwestern United States through Central America and into South America. It is often found in dry arid habitats. It is found in the dry shrub habitat or Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia and Southern Brazil.