The Javelina (Tayassu tajacu), also called the collared peccary, is a medium-sized animal that looks a lot like a wild boar. With their bristly salt-and-pepper–colored hair, short legs, and pig-like snout, it’s easy to see why people often confuse them with pigs. But looks can be deceiving—javelinas aren’t actually pigs at all.

One way to tell them apart is their size and shape. Javelinas are generally smaller and slimmer, usually weighing around 40 to 60 pounds. They also have a light-colored “collar” of fur around their neck, which is where the name “collared peccary” comes from. Another big difference is their tusks. Unlike pigs, whose tusks curve outward, javelina tusks are short, straight, and point down.

Javelinas are social animals that live in groups, which helps them stay safe from predators. They also have a scent gland on their backs that they use to mark territory and recognize each other—a feature pigs don’t have.

Even though they share a lot of similarities with pigs, the two aren’t closely related. Pigs come from the “Old World” (Europe, Asia, and Africa), while javelinas are “New World” animals, found in the deserts, grasslands, and forests of the Americas. So while they might look like wild hogs, javelinas are really their own unique kind of animal.

 Either way, we find them and their skulls to be fascinating. Just look at the chompers on this guy!  

All skulls and bones vary slightly in size and shape. You will receive a high quality specimen of the selected item but not the exact one pictured.