Texas A&M AgriLife fills critical knowledge gaps on javelina

Researchers with Texas A&M AgriLife are laying the foundation for the science-based management and conservation of javelinas, or collared peccary. Until recently, this native species seemed overshadowed by other Texas wildlife and plagued by misconceptions.

The javelina is often mistaken as a feral hog, but the two are not related. Javelinas are native to Texas and are not considered a nuisance animal, as is the non-native feral hog.

“We’re really seeing a new era of research for this species, and it is extremely exciting because there is so much we can learn,” said Stephen Webb, Ph.D., project lead and Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute research assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences  Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Bryan-College Station.

Webb said very little is known about javelinas, despite them having one of the largest distributions of any wild, hoofed mammal. Populations span South America to the southwestern U.S.  

The five-year project, supported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, includes Jacob Dykes, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management; Marcus Blum, Ph.D., assistant research scientist with the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute; and Walter Cook, Ph.D., DVM, clinical professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Researching a Texas icon

Small javelina populations exist in the Edwards Plateau and Rolling Plains ecoregions, but the species’ stronghold is in the South Texas Plains and Trans Pecos.

“The javelina is really an icon of deep South and West Texas,” said Whitney Gann, Ph.D., wildlife management area facilities coordinator with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “They’re so well adapted and successful at surviving in a really tough environment where rainfall and food sources can be scarce for prolonged periods.”

Gann said she became aware of the need for collared peccary research when she was the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area manager near Cotulla.

Javelina, a game animal, can be legally harvested in Texas during designated seasons.

“Part of my responsibility was to develop harvest recommendations for hunting season,” Gann said. “While that’s super easy to do for deer, which have existing survey protocols and population models, I struggled to confidently do so with javelina because those resources currently don’t exist.”

The project aims to provide biologists with the data and tools to steward the species better.

Insights into population, life history and more

The project will take place across 250,000 acres in South Texas, including the Texas A&M AgriLife La Copita Demonstration Ranch and Research Area.

The team will evaluate the effectiveness of camera, roadside and helicopter survey methods to estimate the abundance of javelinas. They will also equip animals with GPS collars, providing a glimpse into their movements, behavior and home range.

“We’ll be able to see how far they move in a day, when they are most active, and what habitat they use the most,” Webb said. “We can then determine what behaviors they’re engaging in based on the movement data and also learn more about their social dynamics.”

This survey data will be combined with harvest numbers, survival and reproduction rates, health, and habitat availability to model collared peccary population dynamics and growth. These models will allow biologists to examine the effects of environmental factors like drought and landscape changes on populations.

Habitat suitability models will also be developed, helping wildlife managers to identify the environmental factors javelina require or avoid.

Gann said this suite of resources will be invaluable to biologists who manage the species and provide guidance to private landowners.

Changing perceptions about javelinas

Researchers also hope to address misconceptions and develop a greater appreciation for javelinas among Texans.

“Because javelina are similar in appearance to feral hogs, they have gained a bit of a negative reputation and are often blamed for damage actually caused by hogs,” Dykes said.

Although javelinas may have a snout similar to swine, they are not related to feral hogs, Dykes said. They are in an entirely different animal family.

The defense mechanisms employed by javelina, coupled with their roughly 2-inch-long canine teeth, have also given the species a reputation for ferocity, but Dykes and Webb said there is very little actual threat to humans.

“Javelinas have such poor eyesight that it’s easy to sneak up on them,” Webb said. “When startled, they will bluff charge and clack their teeth together, which can be intimidating.”

The animals are also known for a pungent, musky odor emitted by scent glands used to communicate and mark territory. Because of this, Webb said many people incorrectly assume their meat is low quality or tastes bad.

“That just isn’t the case,” Webb said. “I prepared a javelina dish for a wild game potluck hosted by our department last year and so many people told me that the meat was excellent. I think we changed a lot of minds with that one meal.”

Potential benefits for hunters and landowners

Last year, the Boone and Crockett Club, a nonprofit advocacy group for wildlife conservation, added a collared peccary category to their big game records. Webb and Dykes view this as a positive step toward shedding light on them as a respected game animal.

With this elevated recognition and interest among hunters, landowners who manage habitat for javelina could benefit from additional hunting revenue.

“As the species generates more interest, landowners can derive income from hunters and then reinvest those funds back into promoting javelina management and conservation,” Webb said. “That’s when our research will come into play and help guide those management decisions.”