The musk hog that fooled humans into seeing two navels

Countries & Cities · Published 1 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The collared peccary is often mistaken for a wild pig, but it belongs to a distinct evolutionary lineage. Beyond its distinctive pale neck stripe, this mammal possesses a unique musk gland that has historically led to bizarre biological myths and serves as a sophisticated tool for social communication.

While they resemble wild swine, collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) are not true pigs. They belong to the family Tayassuidae, the New World counterparts to the Old World Suidae. This distinction is rooted in specific skeletal and dental features, such as their spearlike canine teeth. These teeth do not protrude but create noticeable lumps in the lips, earning the animals common names like javelin or javelina.

One of the most enduring myths about the peccary involves its anatomy. Because they possess a scent gland under the skin on the ridge of their back, people historically mistook the gland for a second navel. In reality, this gland discharges a skunklike odor when the animal's hairs are raised in alarm. This chemical signal is a vital survival mechanism; peccaries rub the scent onto rocks, tree stumps, and each other to mark territory and facilitate group identification.

The collared peccary is the most common of the three peccary species, roaming from the southern deserts of the United States through the Amazon basin. They are diurnal, typically traveling in herds of about a dozen, though they can range from small groups to up to 50 individuals. They are highly adaptable, seeking shelter in burrows, caves, abandoned mines, or even old timber, and are known to be ferocious when harassed.

Recent taxonomic shifts have further complicated their classification. While the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) still uses the genus Pecari, a 2020 study led to the American Society of Mammalogists accepting the genus Dicotyles for the collared peccary. This reflects the ongoing scientific effort to accurately map the complex evolutionary history of these resilient mammals.

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