Collared PeccaryA collared peccary drinks from a Texas watering hole. (Photo David A. Murray)

The tires made contact with the runway as the flight attendant welcomed the jumbo jet's passengers to San Antonio. Looking out the window, as we taxied to our gate, the intense heat rose from the blacktop and created the appearance of viewing the runway through a cellophane wrap.

Luggage handlers, dressed in shorts and polo shirts, approached the aircraft to begin unloading the passenger's bags. While waiting to deplane, my mind drifted back to my departure from the airport in Portland, Maine, and the extreme January winter weather I had left behind. A short walk to my rental car reinforced the one hundred degree temperature.

Driving south, towards the Mexican border, offered scenic views of large sprawling cattle ranches and endless flat vistas covered with intermittent patches of cactus and wildflowers. This brushy desert-like environment is the perfect habitat for the wild pig known as the javelina (pronounced havalina).

Although commonly known as a javelina, the real name for this critter is the collared peccary. The name javelina originated from the Spanish word jabalina, which means spear. The early Spanish settlers chose this name as a reference to the pig's spear-like tusks.

The overall appearance of the collared peccary is that of a wild pig. The head, chest, and shoulders are reasonably large in proportion to the rest of the body. The body tapers back to smaller rear legs and hindquarters. The javelina's face is very pig-like with a large snout ending in a flat rounded nose. The tusks, or canine teeth, are generally about one to two inches tall but barely visible as the lips cover most of the tusks.

The adult javelina is a large rugged critter; standing at a height of about two feet at the front shoulders, with an overall length of almost three to four feet, and a weight of between thirty to sixty-five pounds; this is a formidable wild pig.

The predominant hair coloring is a grizzled black and dark gray, with a tinted yellowish-white mane or "collar" around the neck; this hair on the javelina's mane is coarse and brittle and becomes erect when the pig is disturbed. Portions of the hair on the javelina's face and cheeks are also yellowish-white in color.

Although not a predatory animal, the collared peccary can still be quite dangerous and aggressive. If cornered or finding itself in a position to fight, these pigs are vicious battlers. If they choose to attack, chances of escaping on foot are slim as these pigs are able to travel at speeds of twenty-five miles per hour. Another intimidating factor is that javelinas travel in territorial groups of six to thirty adult animals.

As the wind shifted, the unmistakable odor of javelinas filled the air. The strong, musky smell is similar to that of sharp cheese or old sneakers - it's bad!

The smell comes from a gland located on the pigs back directly beneath the mane. As the pigs move, the gland slightly opens and closes to give off an odor used by the group for identification and territorial marking. If the mane becomes raised, due to the animal being agitated or in an aggressive situation, the gland opens and exudes a large amount of this strong smelling secretion to serve as a warning or alarm to the other group members.

A sharp bark from the other side of a small hill let me know that the javelinas had caught my scent. My eyes darted from left to right as I scanned the floor of the brush-covered habitat. I was now in their territory, and it wouldn't be long before they would come to see what and where I was.

As the group got closer, they communicated among themselves with barks and grunts. I crouched down to get a better view through the undergrowth. Suddenly, everywhere I looked there were dark shadows weaving throughout the brush and cactus. There were too many to count, but this group must have contained at least twenty pigs. As the group gained confidence with their numbers, some of the bolder individuals began to approach within a few feet. Moving my camera around startled the approaching pigs and they would bark and quickly join the others. The stench was almost unbearable, as now most of the pigs were walking around with their mane raised and scent glands pumping.

Dealing with the smell was difficult, but to get a natural and relaxed image of the javelina meant that I needed to spend some time with the pigs so that they would become comfortable with me and go about their business.

I spotted a small watering hole just a short distance from where the pigs seemed to be congregating. It was obvious, that in the Texas heat, this watering hole would be used eventually. I relocated and set-up not to interfere with the pigs activities, but close enough to photograph with my 500mm lens.

I sat down, adjusted my tripod so that I would be at eye-level with the javelina, and waited. The hot sun heated the musky air and the minutes seemed like hours. Luckily, it wasn't long before a thirsty javelina gave me the photo opportunity I wanted.

Good shooting!

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