Giant Peccary

Taxobox
name = Giant Peccary
status = DD
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Artiodactyla
familia = Tayassuidae
genus = "Pecari"
species = "P. maximus"
binomial = "Pecari maximus"
binomial_authority = Roosmalen "et al.", 2007

The Giant Peccary ("Pecari maximus") is a fourth species of peccary, discovered in Brazil in 2000 by the Dutch naturalist Marc van Roosmalen. In 2003, he and German natural history filmmaker Lothar Frenz succeeded in filming a group and gathering material, which later would serve as the type. Though recently discovered by science it has been known to locals as "Caitetu Munde", which means "great peccary which lives in pairs". It was formally described in 2007, but the scientific evidence for its species status has later been questioned. [ [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/roosmalen-200802.html "Trials of a Primatologist."] - smithsonianmag.com. Accessed March 15, 2008]

Its assumed range encompass the south-central Amazon between the Madeira and the Tapajós Rivers. It is restricted to Terra Firme forest. Unlike other peccaries in its range, the Giant Peccary appears to mainly occur in pairs or small family groups.

Compared to the Collared Peccary ("P. tajacu"), the only other member of the genus "Pecari", the Giant Peccary is larger, longer-legged, and proportionally smaller-headed. Compared to the sympatric populations of the Collared Peccary, the Giant Peccary also has thinner fur that is grizzled in brown and white, blacker legs and a relatively faint collar. Five skins of the Giant Peccary had a total length of 120-137 cm (47-54 in), while local hunters have estimated a weight of 40-50 kg (88-110 lb). Based on mtDNA, it has been estimated that the Collared and the Giant Peccary diverged 1-1,2 million years ago.

References

* Roosmalen, M.G.M.; Frenz, L.; Hooft, W.F. van; Iongh, H.H. de; Leirs, H. 2007. "A New Species of Living Peccary (Mammalia: Tayassuidae) from the Brazilian Amazon." Bonner zoologische Beitrage 55(2): 105-112.
* http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20071102/sc_livescience/bigpiglikebeastdiscovered "Big Pig-Like Beast Discovered"] from Yahoo News.

External links

* [http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/04june13/inter.htm#6 New mammal discovered in South America - and eaten]
* [http://www.geo.de/GEO/wissenschaft_natur/tiere/2004_06_GEO_riesenpekari/index.html?linkref=geode_pager Forscher entdecken neuen Großsäuger] , GEO magazine (in German)
* [http://www.marcvanroosmalen.org/giantpeccary.htm Info on the recently discovered Giant Peccary]