Dig this! Wild peccaries, also known as javelinas, resting in the shade outside the office of our friend and colleague, “Unknowable.” Is that cool, or what?
If Mr. Nature were here, he would tell you peccaries are closely related to pigs: that’s why they look like miniature wild boars. They’re only half the size of wild boars and that’s a good thing, because they can be irascible.
They also kill and eat rattlesnakes from time to time. But these two don’t look hungry.
I didn’t know that they ate rattlers; but that has elevated them greatly in my opinion.
The Javelina is no stranger to these parts. I’ve had the, in my yard and any time you hear rustling in the underbrush, chances are it’s a Javelina, happily going about it’s work, what ever that work might be. I’m pretty certain that they visit my porch, occasionally, just snooping around, searching for eats.
The building I work in is situated in the foothills on the north side of Tucson. It’s a scenic area with lots of natural desert. To the west of the building, which is the direction I was looking when I took the picture, there is a green belt, of sorts, and the desert habitat extends along this belt for some miles. If you happen to be looking out the right window, you may see all sorts of creatures, going about their business, not more than ten yards away. The don’t even seem to notice the humans on the other side of the windows.
The Javelina facing the camera opened on eye when it heard me approach the window, then went right back to sleep. A few seconds after I took this picture, it’s snout was twitching furiously, no doubt because of some porcine dream. What do Javelina dream about? Frankly, if I were a Javelina and had the privilege to live in that particular spot, there would be little to dream about. Maybe I’d dream about finding a shady spot to lie down for a midday nap, while I was being admired by workers at a medical software company. I guess some dreams actually do come true. 🙂
If animals could only tell us what they dream about…
Wow, looks like they are making themselves right at home. Better than rattlesnakes, for sure.
We have those too, but Western Diamondbacks are not particularly aggressive. The head of the security department keeps a snake grabber in his office and releases them into the same green belt whenever he finds them near the doors or in the parking lot.
The Javelina visit often. I wouldn’t say that finding them snoozing in that spot is a daily occurrence, but it’s common enough that the veterans there hardly notice them.
WOW!! That’s so cool!! They’re kind of cute actually! I’m happy to see the picture!
My family have all settled in Havisu City, AZ. When I visit them I will see coyotes walking around (it is illegal to kill them, even if they are carrying off your pet dog), but I have never seen the Javelina – I had never heard of them before. Now in Arkansas we have Razorback hogs, and you do not want to mess with them.
Coyotes are a huge problem. IMO, they should be kept away from inhabited areas. They did it in the past and the species never became extinct. They are a menace, to say the least. They can spread rabies, will kill pets and will stand their ground against humans. I had a standoff with one during my bike ride, less than a year ago.
I love to watch wildlife, but wild animals and populated areas are not a good mix. The wildlife at work live in a green belt which borders the property, so there’s not a problem.
We haven’t seen those wild boar around here recently… no spinosauruses either… 🙁