Sacramento river peccary (SciiFii)

The Sacramento river peccary (Potamogonus sacramento), also known as the western river peccary, is a species of large pig-like hoofed mammal of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs) that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, swamps, marshlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, and shrublands across southwestern and western North America to help boost biodiversity. The Sacramento river peccary is named since it generally prefers areas near rivers or swamps, and is also named due to the fact that this species flourish in areas throughout California where the Sacramento River is located. The Sacramento river peccary has striking brown to reddish-brown striped fur, with darker brown legs and a tufted white stripe along the spine. Adults have gray markings around the eyes and on the cheeks and around the jaws; the rest of the muzzle and face are a contrasting brown. The fur on the jaw and the flanks is longer than that on the body, with the males having especially prominent facial whiskers. Adults weigh 45 to 115 kg (99 to 254 lb) and stand 55 to 80 cm (22 to 31 in) tall, with a length of 100 to 145 cm (39 to 57 in). The thin tail is 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) long and ends in a tuft of black hair. The ears are also long and thin, ending in tufts of white or black hair that may each 12 cm (4.7 inches) in length. Males are somewhat larger than females, and have distinct conical protuberances on either side of the snout and rather small, sharp tusks. The facial protuberances are bony and protects the male's facial tendons during head-to-head combat with other males. Sacramento river peccaries are often active during the day, but are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular. They typically live in small groups of approximately six to ten animals, composed of a single adult male, and a number of adult females and their young. However, much larger groups, some with over 30 individuals, have been noted in particularly favourable habitats. The male defends its harem aggressively against predators, with cougars and jaguars being a particularly common threat. They communicate almost continuously with grunts and squeals with a repertoire that can signal alarm, distress, or passive contact. The species is omnivorous, eating mainly roots and tubers, and supplements its diet with fruit, grasses, herbs, eggs, dead animal and plant remains, insects, and lizards. It uses its large muzzle to snuffle about in the soil in search of food, as well as scraping the ground with their tusks and fore-feet. They can cause damage to agricultural crops, such as cassava and yams, if the crops aren't properly protected. Sacramento river peccaries breed seasonally, so that the young are born between the end of April and in the middle of August. The oestrus cycle lasts 34 to 37 days. The mating lasts about five to ten minutes. Gestation lasts 120 days. The mother constructs a nest from dead vegetation before giving birth to a litter of up to seven reds, with four to five being most common. The reds weigh 650 to 900 g (23 to 32 oz) at birth, and are initially dark brown with yellowish stripes and spots. They are weaned after about four months, and develop the plain reddish-brown adult coat by about six months; the facial markings do not appear until they reach adulthood at about two years of age. They usually live for about twenty years in the wild, but reports of Sacramento river peccaries living being o be about 25 in the wild are not uncommon. The conservation status of the Sacramento river peccary is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the Sacramento river peccary's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii