The seasonal movements and herd activities of the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) in the Tortolita Mountains
Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)
Authors Bigler, William John, 1939-
Publisher The University of Arizona.
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Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/551752 THE SEASONAL MOVEMENTS AND HERD ACTIVITIES OF
THE COLLARED PECCARY (PECARI TAJACU)
IN THE TORTOLITA MOUNTAINS
by
William J. Bigler
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
In Partial Fulfillm ent of the Requirements For the Degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
In the Graduate College
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
19 6 4 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR
This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re quirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to bor rowers under rules of the Library.
Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the m aterial is in the interests of schol arship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author.
SIGNED:
APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR
This thesis has been approved on the date shown below:
\\ , — iE K. SOWLS Associate Professor of Wildlife Management This study was financed by the Arizona Cooperative W ildlife
Research Unit, which is cooperatively maintained by the following organizations: The University of Arizona, the Arizona Game and Fish
Department, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife
Management Institute.
i i i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to Dr. C. Roger Hunger ford. Assistant Unit
Leader, for his guidance, encouragement and many suggestions through out the study. '
I am sincerely indebted to Dr. Lyle K. Sowls, Unit Leader, for his invaluable assistance in preparing and editing the thesis.
I wish to thank Gerald I. Day, Biologist of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, for his collaboration on drug pen experiments, harness construction and field capture techniques. I also extend my thanks to David E. Brown, W ildlife Manager of The Arizona Game and
Fish Department, for his assistance in field observations.
Dr. William J. McConnell, Assistant Unit Leader, offered many tim ely suggestions concerning the marking and tagging techniques.
Richard F. Dyson, Curator of Mammals at the Arizona-Sonora Desert
Museum, assisted in the prelim inary marking, tagging and imm obiliza tion experiments.
Fellow students Richard A. Bishop, Jaime A. Estavillo,
Donald S. Peterson and Arthur C. Risser are remembered for their assistance in trap site preparation, field immobilization and summer obs ervations.
A ll photographs were taken by Gerald I. Day.
iv TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
L IS T O F IL L U S T R A T IO N S ...... v i
L IS T O F T A B L E S ...... v iii
ABSTRACT ...... x i
IN T R O D U C T IO N ...... 1
THE STUDY A R E A ...... 2
T o p o g ra p h y ...... 2 C lim a te ...... 3 Vegetation ...... 3
METHODS ...... 7
S u rvey T e c h n iq u e s ...... 7 C hecking S ta tio n ...... 8 T ra p p in g and C a p t u r i n g ...... 8 Tagging and M a r k in g ...... 18
R E S U L T S A N D D IS C U S S IO N ...... 24
Herd Size, Composition and Productivity ...... 24 Movements and Home Range ...... 32 Seasonal Activities ...... 34 Relationships with Other A nim als ...... 46
A P P E N D IX ...... 49
LITERATURE CITED 51 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Page
1. The study area in the Tortolita Mountains ...... 5
2. The vegetation and topography of the study area .... 6
3. The typical vegetation of the many small canyons above 2, 600 f e e t ...... 6
4. The C O 2 rifle and the projectile syringes used in the field immobilization of the peccary ...... 21 t 5. Tagging and harnessing a field immobilized adult peccary ...... 21
6. A captured piglet ear tagged with "Saflag" swathes and s "Rdtotags" ...... 22
7. Population data on the peccary in the study area in 1963 and 1 9 6 4 ...... 25
8. Birth months of young peccaries observed on the study area at various times in 1963-64 ...... 30
9. Minimum home ranges; with movements of peccary marked and subsequently identified ...... 33
10. A large cave used by peccaries during the spring and s u m m e r ...... 37
11. A typical scat station and bedding site used by peccaries during the spring and s u m m e r ...... 37
12. Observations on summer movements of small peccary herd unit (E) and the range overlap by two other peccary h erd s (D ) and ( F ) ...... 38
13. Celtis pallida and other canyon bottom cover used during the la te su m m er and f a l l ...... 44
v i v ii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS--Continued
Figure Page
14. Mesquite cover and the benches used during the fall and w i n t e r ...... 44
15. M o n th ly d iu rn a l a c tiv ity p a t t e r n s ...... 45 LIST OF TABLES
T a b le Page
1. Dosage rates and effects of Sernylan administered to captive peccaries ...... 13
2. Field records of peccaries immobilized with Sernylan . 14
3. Data on young peccaries captured and marked during the summer of 1963 17
4. The observed sex and age composition of seven small peccary herds in the study area, September, 1963 . . . 27
5. Age classification by tooth-wear of hunter-killed pec caries in the Tortolita Mountains in 1963 and 1964 . . . 28
6. Age composition of 13 observed peccary herds in the T o rto lita M o u n ta in s ...... 29
7. Sex ratio of hunter-killed peccaries in the Tortolita Mountains in 1963 and 1964 30
8. Litter size of three age classes of young peccaries in the T o rto lita M o u n t a in s ...... 31
9* Summer observations of peccaries entering caves . . . 43
10. Maximum-minimum temperatures (°F. ) in a large cave used by p e c c a r ie s ...... 44
v iii ABSTRACT
This study of the seasonal movements and herd activities of the peccary was conducted in the Tortolita Mountains, Pima and Pinal
Counties, Arizona from February 1963 to March 1964.
Four trapping locations were established by June 15 and dis continued during the first week of August. Peccaries never visited the trapping locations during the summer dry season nor did the auxiliary water supply attract them.
In an attempt to mark at least some adult animals, the dart gun was used from July 1963 to February 1964. Young peccaries were caught by hand and tagged from July 16, 1963 to August 6, 1963.
Eleven adults and eight young peccaries were marked and released during the course of this study.
Movements, seasonal activities and herd composition were determined by observation and repeated visits to caves and scat stations.
Thirteen herds, a total of 106 peccaries, were observed during this study. The sex ratio was approximately 50:50 and the age composi tion was 30% juveniles and 70% adults.
The minimum home ranges of four peccary herds within the study area ranged from 1.03 to 3. 12 square miles.
ix INTRODUCTION
The objectives of this study were to determine the seasonal movements and herd activities of the collared peccary in the Tortolita
Mountains. This mountain range was selected as a study area because of its accessibility, adequate number of peccaries for study, heavy hunter pressure and moderate livestock use of the area. Specifically the study included investigations on daily movements, herd composi tion, productivity, and exchange between herds.
Several unforeseen problems were encountered during the course of this study. The previous trapping and tagging techniques initiated by Neal (1959a) and modified by Minnamon (1962) were tried without success in this area. The distribution of peccaries, the lack of free water, and the presence of range cattle made trapping impossible.
Early in the study, several marking methods were tried on captive animals. Late in the study the dart gun was used to immobi lize adult wild peccaries so that they could be marked. During the summer, piglets were captured by hand and ear -tagged. The field work began in February 1963 and was concluded in March 1964.
1 THE STUDY AREA
All field work was conducted on an area of approximately 14
square miles located in the. northwest one-quarter of the Tortolita
Mountains, about seven miles east of Mar ana (Figure 1). The moun
tains extend in a northwest-southeast direction for about 10 miles, from Redrock Road in the north to Tangerine Road in the south. They
cover an area of about 77 square miles, and are bounded on the east
by the Florence Highway (U. S. 80, 89) and on the west by the Casa
Grande Highway (U. S. 84).
Topography
The geology on the northwestern side of the Tortolita Moun
tains consists basically of granitic and related crystalline intrusive
ro c k s .
Elevations in the Tortolita Mountains vary from 2, 400 feet
to 4, 696 feet. The highest point of the study area is 4, 094 feet. Flats
and bajadas are common at the lower elevations but at about 2, 600 feet
the country is rugged foothills (Figure 2).
The study area is mostly rugged foothills bordered on the west
by bajadas and on the east by desert grassland. The major canyons of
the area run from southwest to northeast, and are cut by many small
2 3 canyons. The Fresnal Canyon area is characterized by vertical out croppings of eroding granite. This area has a great number of natural caves. There are no horizontal mine tunnels on the study area.
C lim a te
The highest temperature recorded at Cor taro at an elevation
of 2, 283 feet for the period 1945 to 1953 was 113°F. and the lowest
temperature for the same period was 13°F. The coldest month was
January and the hottest month was July. The average maximum temperature for January was 82. 0°F. and the average minimum
temperature was 18. 6°F. For July the maximum temperature was
111. 4°F. and the average minimum temperature was 62. 6°F. The mean annual rainfall recorded at Cortaro from 1945 to 1953 was 10. 39 inches (Smith, 1956).
V e g e ta tio n
Nichol (1952) classified the vegetation in this area as the Palo
verde - Bursage - Cacti type (Figure 2). Palo verde (Cercidium
microphyllum)^ is the dominant species of the study area. The vege
tation on the bajadas is characterized by the following species: saguaro
(Carnegiea gigantea), prickly-pear (Opuntia Engelmannii), cholla, both
^Scientific names in this thesis are from Arizona Flora, T. H. Kearney and R. H. Peebles, University of California Press, 1951. (Opuntia fulgida) and (Opuntia versicolor), barrel cactus (Ferocactus
W islizeni), ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), bur sage (Franseria del- toidea), ironwood (Olneya Tesota), deer-brush (Ceanothus Greggii), velvet mesquite (Prosopis juliflora velutina)^ desert hackberry
(Celtis pallida); white-thorn (Acacia constricta), catclaw acacia
(Acacia Greggii), buck-brush (Lyciuro Frem ontii), and false mes quite (Calliandra eriophylla). The vegetation of the steep narrow canyons above 2, 600 feet is characterized by the following species: pancake-pear (Opuntia chlorotica), desert hackberry (Celtis pallida), white-thorn (Acacia constricta), catclaw acacia (Acacia Greggii); velvet mesquite (Prosopis juliflora velutina), false mesquite
(Calliandra eriophylla), white ratney (Krameria Grayi), and mormon tea (Ephedra trifurca) (Figure 3). 5
Figure 1. The study area in the Tortolita Mountains. 6
Figure 2. The vegetation and topography of the study area.
Figure 3. The typical vegetation of the many small canyons above 2, 600 feet. METHODS
Survey Techniques
I made sight observations of peccary throughout the year to determine herd activities and movement patterns. A combination of observations from certain vantage points and foot surveys proved to be the most effective way to locate herds. A Z7x spotting scope arid 7 x 50 binoculars were used to classify animals in herds. Undisturbed herds were observed as long as possible, but the extremely rugged terrain and the shifting winds lim ited most observations to less than two hours.
Data was recorded on time, location, temperature, activity, size of
the herds, age of the animals and sex of the animals in some cases.
Through most of the year, especially during the summer
months, peccaries were difficult to find and even more difficult to ob
serve for long periods of time. In the summer herds were seldom seen
during the day. The most favorable observation time was at dawn
between 4:30 A. M. and 7:30 A. M. Most observations were made while
peccaries were entering, leaving, or sleeping in caves or visiting scat
station s.
During the winter months, herds were frequently found feed
ing until noon. However, I did observe several herds while they were
bedded or resting.
7 8
I classified 13 herds by number and age composition. During the spring molt, naturally-m arked individuals could be identified.
Later in the study, after some herd members had been marked, several herds could be identified by the presence of these marked individuals and the number of animals in the herd.
Sixty caves and 80 scat stations were examined as a part of the weekly survey routes. A ll caves and scat stations were thoroughly inspected for fresh diggings, tracks and scats in an attempt to deter mine daily and seasonal activities.
Checking Station
A checking station operated by unit personnel was established on the main access road to the study area during the javelina hunt of
March 1963. Hunters were interviewed and the animals they had killed were examined, weighed and aged by the tooth replacement pattern.
During the 1964 hunt, two other checking stations operated by both
Arizona Game and Fish Department and unit personnel were established on the Nelson and Palo Verde Ranch Roads. In addition to the proce dures followed the previous season, eyeballs and female reproductive tracts were collected.
Trapping and Capturing
Trapping. Four trapping locations were selected and the trap ping methods used by Minnamon (1962) were followed with some 9 exceptions. Three trapping Locations, with auxiliary water supplies, were established at major scat stations. A fourth trapping location was situated at a well. This latter site, due to repeated disturbances by range cattle, was soon eliminated. Trapping attempts were carried on during the summer dry season from June 15 until August 1, 1963.
Peccaries never visited the trapping locations during the summer dry season. However, I observed several animals passing within 20 yards of them. The lack of success in trapping could be attributed to the peccaries' erratic use of the scat stations and the fact that the auxiliary water supplies did not attract the animals.
Capturing. Immobilization techniques were used because trap ping was unsuccessful. A gas (COg) operated rifle with a syringe dart as well as a cross-bow using a dart on an arrow were carried during the weekly surveys. The automatic projectile type syringe and rifle
described by Crockford et al. (1957) proved to be superior to the
cross-bow. The most effective range of the dart gun was under 35 y a r ds.
Herds of peccaries that were feeding were easily approached
during the early morning hours. Under these conditions we could
maneuver and change positions without alerting the herd. When a
peccary was hit the operators remained motionless until the drug took
effect. Every precaution was taken not to excite the injected animal.
Following the advice of Day (1963), barbless syringes were used to 10 facilitate recovery and to eliminate the irritation caused by a barbed
syringe. It was possible to determine whether or not the animal
received the drug by examination of the recovered syringe.
Other workers have used drugs for immobilizing peccaries
for examination and tagging. Neal (1959a) anesthetized captive wild
peccaries by intraperitoneal injections of Nembutal and Surital.
Nembutal proved lethal in seven of 21 cases. Surital was satisfactory
in that it was not lethal, but it produced incomplete narcosis in eight
of 12 cases. Day (1963) immobilized captive wild peccaries by intra
muscular injections of Suecinylcholine chloride. This muscle relaxant
was very successful when used on captive peccaries of known weights.
The optimum dosage appear ed to be . 25 m g/lb of body weight. All
animals were immobilized within four to six minutes. Several over
dosed peccaries were kept alive by an Ambu artificial respirator until
they recovered.
Only one free-ranging peccary was injected with Succynil-
choline chloride during this study. This 25 lb. animal was overdosed
due to the difficulty in estimating weights of wild peccaries. The
dosage received was . 30 m g/lb of body weight for a 50 lb. animal.
Even though this animal was located within six minutes, it was in
critical condition. Hurried attempts to insert the inter-tracheal tube
of the "Ambu" were in vain. Autopsy revealed the tube diameter was
too large to pass through the glottis and voice box. 11
On October 2, 1963 two penned juvenile peccaries were in jected with Succinylcholine chloride to refine the "Ambn" technique of artificial respiration. The thick neck muscles of these animals made it difficult to tell if the inter-tracheal tube was properly inserted in the trachea. Both peccaries were lost because of improper insertion of the tube.
The safety margin of Succinylcholine chloride is too narrow making it difficult to calculate an effective but safe dose without know ing the exact weight of the peccary.
Gerald I. Day of the Arizona Game and Fish Department
suggested Sernylan as a possible immobilizing drug. Sernylan (Parke
Davis) is the trade name for l- ( -1-Phenyl cyclohexyl) piperidine hydrochloride. This drug is available in powder form and 1 gram is
mixed with 10 cc. of water for a solution containing 100 mg. per cc.
After prelim inary tests it was immediately obvious that
Sernylan, as an immobilizing agent, deserved further investigation.
Sernylan has the following advantages for use on peccary and is in
some ways superior to other drugs.
(1) Sernylan has a wide safety margin when used on
peccaries. ; Animals hit once and underdosed could be
safely shot again.
(2) The reaction time of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes was easily
achieved with dosages around 2. 0 m g/lb. 12
(3) The stability of the aqueous solution under high tempera
tures was satisfactory.
(4) It was not necessary to locate the injected animal within a
required period in order to administer antidotes or artificial
respiration.
The only disadvantage of this drug was that the peccary did not recover until five to 24 hours later, depending upon the location of the hit. Animals hit in the collar region went down quicker but tended to stay out longer.
The proper dosage for peccaries appears to be 2. 0 m g/lb of body weight. Ataxia occurred in two and one-half to six minutes. All peccaries collapsed within 13 minutes from dosages of . 5 to 2. 4 m g/lb of body weight. Peccaries injected with dosages of 2. 0 mg/lb or more were down within six minutes. Most animals were hit in the hip region.
Two animals were accidentally killed during prelim inary tests because of injuries from projectiles. No other captive animals died from the use of this drug (Table 1).
During the study 23 peccaries were hit with projectile syringes.
Eleven were successfully immobilized, marked and released. One juvenile peccary died because of an overdose of Succinylcholine chloride.
One juvenile peccary was sacrified because of a broken femur. Five peccaries were hit and not located and five peccaries were hit and not immobilized because of equipment failure. The data concerning the 13 successfully immobilized peccaries is shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Dosage rates and effects of Sernylan administered to captive p e c c a rie s .
A c tu a l Dosage of Total Minutes Minutes H ours w eig ht m g /lb of dosage to to to (lbs) body weight in m g. Ataxia collapse recover
41 .5 0 21 4. 00 12. 00 55 .5 0 28 3. 00 9 .7 5 - 52 . 50 26 4. 50 11.00 10 47 . 60 28 3. 50 8 .0 0 - 41 .6 0 25 ' 3. 00 1 0 .5 0 5 40 . 60 24 4. 00 8 .0 0 - 32 .7 0 22 3. 50 6. 50 9 52 . 74 38 3. 00 9 .5 0 8 45 . 85 39 5. 00 9 .5 0 - 36 1 .0 0 36 4. 50 6. 75 10 51 1 .0 0 51 6. 00 1 0 .5 0 6 44 1 .6 0 71 6. 00 1 3 .0 0 - 41 2 .0 0 82 3. 50 6. 00 - 51 2 .0 0 102 3. 00 6. 00 - 46 2. 17 101 2 .5 0 4 .5 0 - 44 2. 30 100 2. 75 5. 75 - 44 2 .3 0 100 3. 00 5. 50 - 41 2 .4 0 100 3. 00 4. 00 - 41 2240 100 3 .5 0 4 .5 0 - 14
Table 2. Field records of peccaries immobilized with Sernylan.
W ear W eight Dosage L o c a tio n M in u tes to H e rd Sex C lass (pounds) (m g /lb ) of h it co llap se
A M a le * 3 55+ 1. 8 hip - -
A F e m a le 4 50 2. 0 c o lla r - -
B M a le * 1 43 2. 3 chest 5
B M a le 3 50 2. 0 c o lla r 4
B F e m a le 2 55+ 00 shoulder .2
B F e m a le ^ 4 50 2. 0 back 14
D F e m a le 3 53 1. 1 back 10
D M a le 5 55+ 1. 8 c o lla r - -
G M a le 1 48 1. 0 shoulder 3
K M a le 4 42 1. 8 back ----
L M a le 2 48 2. 1 c o lla r
M M a le 5 47 2. 1 back 4
1 These animals were taken during the 1964 javelina hunt.
2 This animal was lost to predators before recovering from a dose of S ern ylan . 15
Capturing piglets by hand. When a peccary herd with piglets was located, it was immediately pursued. The pressure of the chase forced the sow to abandon the young. The piglets immediately "froze" beneath a tree or near a rock. Animals a few days old could be caught very easily, and animals over two weeks old could only be caught after an exhausting chase. A ll piglets attempted to bite arid squealed violently when handled. Captured piglets were tagged and released as quickly as p o ssib le.
Between June 8, 1963 and September 21, 1963 nine piglets
under two and one-half weeks of age were captured, examined and
ear-tagged. Data pertaining to the marked piglets are presented in
T ab le 3.
Usually after the young piglets were captured the sow left and
did not return to the area for some time, if at all. However, in
several instances sows did return to the site of capture. On June 8,
one of two piglets was captured. While it was being tagged, the sow
returned to the area and recovered the second piglet. After the tagged
piglet was released it followed me for some time. I finally brought the
animal back to put in captivity. This herd was again observed on
August 1, and the one piglet recovered by the sow was still alive.
On July 16, a sow returned within one hour to the site of cap
ture. Her pace was a fast run and she stopped only 40 yards from
where she had left her young. The sow meandered slowly through the 16 area only once, sniffing loudly as she went, but not making any vocal sounds.
On July 29, two piglets were captured, tagged and released.
Five minutes after the release the sow and two half-grown peccaries returned to the capture site and joined one of the two marked piglets.
The other piglet was running up a steep canyon wall in the opposite direction. Upon seeing me, the sow again ran off leaving her young
"frozen" under the brush.
The flight of the sow when alerted does not mean that she w ill not resort to threat to protect her young. In the study area on July 25,
1963, Dave Brown of the Arizona Game and Fish Department found a sow with three piglets in a bed depression on a ridge top. As he approached, the small sow clicked her teeth loudly and made several short lunges. The sow then slowly ran in ever widening circles for five minutes before moving out of sight. The wet umbilical cords in dicated the young were less than 12 hours old. The piglets could barely walk and after being tagged they huddled together under a nearby palo verde tree. Neal (1959b) also reported one instance when a sow
circled the area for ten minutes while a one day old piglet was being
tagged and examined. 17
Table 3. Data on young peccaries captured and marked during the summer of 1963.
Age in W eig h t "R oto tag " C o lo rs D ate of w eeks in lbs. C ap tu re Sex (e s t. ) (e s t. ) R ig h t ear L e ft ear
June 8 M a le * 1 1 B lu e
July 16 Female 1 1 / 2 - 2 1 / 2 - R e d R ed 2 3
July 25 Male 1 day 1 W hite G re e n
July 25 M a le 1 day 3 /4 W hite G reen
July 25 F e m a le 1 day 1 /2 G re en G reen
July 29 M a le 1 1 1 / 4 - Y e llo w Y e llo w and 1 1 /2 blue
July 29 Male 1 1 Yellow Y e llo w
August 6 F e m a le 1 1 /2 2 1 /4 B lue and B lue and w h ite w h ite
August 21 F e m a le 1 1 / 2 - 2 1 /4 G re e n and G reen and 2 w h ite w h ite
*This animal was not released; it died in captivity on June 12, 1963. 18
Tagging and Marking
Polyethylene braided rope (Minnamon, 1962) and aluminum cattle tags with attached plastic discs (Neal, 1959a) have been used to individually mark peccaries, but with limited success. During this study, a new marker was developed which is both permanent and con spicuous. This new marker was a harness that fitted over the chest and sides of the animal so that a triangular patch was visible on each side (Figure 5). I constructed the harness from segments of 1 /4-inch polyethylene braided rope fastened together with 1/2-inch copper rivets. The patch consisted of a 3-inch triangular swath of "Saflag"
(Safety Flag Company of America, Pawtucket, Rhode Island) or
"Arm or-tite" (Cooley Inc., Pawtucket, Rhode Island) vinyl coated nylon fabric. Red, orange, yellow, blue and white colors were used. The color swathes were wrapped around the braided rope and fastened with
"Pliobond" (Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio) glue and
sewn. The overlapped edges of the patches were sewn after the glue dried. Heavy duty staples were used to secure the patch to the rope triangle. Different symbols and numbers were used in various color combinations. The symbols were cut from patch materials and sewn to the color swathes before the gluing process. Numbers two inches high were applied with "Ram-cote" (Ram Cote Products, Chicago,
Illinois) vinyl paint. 19
This new marking method was tried prim arily on captive ani mals, with the intention of applying the technique to wild peccaries in the fie ld .
I only placed harnesses on adult animals. A standard sized harness was adjusted for each individual animal. Some peccaries would not tolerate the harness. Two penned animals have repeatedly
"stepped out" of their harnesses. The usual procedure was to draw the foreleg up against the chest and force the knee through the chest strap. Once the legs were free the animal could easily slip out of the h arn ess.
Originally, two braided rope harnesses were placed on sepa rate captive peccaries on February 25 and March 14, 1963. Later, during September and October, I placed harnesses on six more captive peccaries. By March 1964 all of the harnesses were still attached and in good condition.
Harnesses were attached to 12 wild peccaries during this study. Field observations confirmed the feasibility of this type of marker. On February 4, 1964 a female peccary tagged and harnessed on October 11, 1963 was observed for over one hour. Both ear tags and the harness were still in place and plainly visible at 70 yards.
An observation at 35 yards showed the harness and color patch to be in excellent condition. 20
I put a numbered cattle tag in one ear and a "Rototag" (Nasco
Inc., Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin) in the other ear of each animal.
"Saflag" and "Arm or-tite" streamers were attached to both ears. A lateral slit was made between the veins of the ear, and the m aterial threaded through and tied in an overhand knot. The streamers were
1/4 inch wide and 8 inches long. A 3/4-inch wide oval color swath was used with the "Rototag" in the ears of young peccaries (Figure 6).
Prelim inary field observations of the ear streamers indi cated that they were lasting satisfactorily. However, in a few cases the streamer ends have been chewed by other peccaries. Pen tests showed that wet conditions apparently caused the plastic surface of the "Saflag" to separate from the nylon base. Also the florescent colors tended to fade very quickly and some shades were undistinguish- able within three months. "Arm or-tite" material held up better than
"Saflag" under the wet conditions and the non-florescent colors were not severely faded by the sun. 21
Figure 5. Tagging and harnessing a field immobilized adult peccary. 22 23
A dart with a streamer or swath shot into the skin in the hip region of captive peccaries proved to be unsuccessful as a field m arker.
A small barbed dart, constructed from a flattened copper rivet filed to a point and coated with "Tygon" plastic paint was used with a streamer
or circular swath of color fabric. A low bow and blunt arrow was used to place the m arker. Most of the streamers were pulled out of the hide
by other peccaries.
Several penned peccaries were marked with paint-filled flash bulbs. Used "25B11 flash bulbs were filled with "Tygon" plastic paint or Tester's "Airplane dope". As described by Ford (1955), a
cross-bow was used to deliver the projectile. This method was also
unsuccessful as a field m arker. Other curious peccaries chewed on
the painted hair and within a few days all traces of the marker were
gone. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Herd Size, Composition and Productivity
The population of peccaries in the study area appeared to be
stable with no evidence of sizable increase or decrease during the study period. Arizona Game and Fish Department personnel, after a careful
census before the 1963 hunt, estimated a population of 108 peccaries in
the study area. Thirty-five peccaries, killed by hunters, were exam ined at a checking station operated by unit personnel. Field observa
tions between March 1963 and February 1964 showed at least 106 pec
caries in the study area with a minimum annual production of 34 pec
caries (Figure 7).
The population consisted of at least three large herds (10-18
animals) and nine small herds (2-9 animals). Repeated observations of
known peccary herds, some of them marked herds, showed their num
bers to be relatively stable. Most of the herd remained in a mobile
compact unit throughout the year. However, almost every herd had one
or two individuals with a wandering nature. Sometimes juveniles be
came separated from the sow after they were over one month old. This
type of straying usually occurred during feeding or when the herd was
alerted. Adults of either sex, singly or in pairs, seemed to deliberate
ly stray from the main body of the herd. Even though individual animals
24 gur . ouain aa n h pcayi h suy ea in a re a study the in peccary the on data Population 7. re u ig F NUMBER OF ANIMALS 93 n 1964. and 1963 BEVD ANNUAL OBSERVED ESS ESTIMATE CENSUS UT REMOVAL HUNT REPRODUCTION 1963
1964
25 26 strayed, the herds remained relatively stable throughout the study.
Seven small herds maintained a stable size composition throughout the year. The sex and age distribution in these herds also demonstrated that they produce and rear young (Table 4).
The age structure of the population was determined directly through field observations and age determinations of hunter-killed animals (Tables 5 and 6). All data indicated that the composition of the 1963 population was about 30% juveniles and 70% adults. Data col lected at the 1963 and 1964 check stations showed 16. 3% and 31.2% respectively to be young of the year and 36. 6% and 41.9% respectively to be from wear classes 3 and 4. The criteria used to determine ages of peccaries included tooth eruption, replacement and wear (Kirkpatrick and Sowls, 1962). The sex ratio as determined by checking stations indicates an almost even ratio (Table 7).
Fifteen piglets under two weeks of age were observed in the
study area from June 8 to November 11, 1963. The greater portion of these were born in the month of July (Figure 8). Of the litters observed in the field, six contained two piglets each and one litter contained
three piglets for an average litter size of 2.1. Observations of juve
niles two to six months old (one-fourth grown) indicated an average of
1.5 animals per litter in this age cohort (Table 8). Some limiting
factor during the first few months after birth appears to have lowered
the litter average 25 per cent. 27
Table 4. The observed sex and age composition of seven small herds in the study area, September, 1963.
Age Sex H e rd size A d. 1 /2 1 /4 p ig le t M a le F e m a le U nci.
4 3 - 1 - 2 1 1
3 2 - 1 - 1 1 1
5 4 - - 1 2 1 2
7 5 - - 2 3 2 2
3 2 1 - - 1 1 1
5 3 - - 2 1 3 1
6 4 2 -- 1 1 4
Totals 33 23 3 2 5 11 10 12 28
Table 5. Age classification by tooth-wear of hunter-killed peccaries in the Tortolita Mountains in 1963 and 1964.
1963 1964 Age Class Number Per cent Number Per cent
Juveniles
2 - 6 m o. 1 3. 0 1 3. 1
7 -1 0 m o. 4 13. 3 9 28. 1
1 1 -1 2 m o. 0 0. 0 0 0. 0
13-18 mo. 1 3. 0 2 6. 1 o o 19-21 1/2 mo. 3_ 10. 0 _0
T o ta ls 9 29. 3 12 37. 3
A d ults
Wear Class 1 4 13. 3 3 9. 2
Wear Class 2 3 10. 0 4 12. 2
Wear Class 3 6 20. 0 7 22. 5
Wear Class 4 5 1 6 .6 6 1 9 .4
Wear Class 5 3 10. 0 _0 0. 0
T o ta ls 21 69- 9 20 63. 3 29
Table 6. Age composition of 13 observed peccary herds in the Tortolita: Mountains.
H e rd A d u lt Juvenile Total
A 3 1 4 B 7 3 10 C 4 1 5 D 7 3 10 E 2 5 7 F 2 3 5 G 2 0 2 H 12 6 18 I 5 4 9 J 9 1 10 K 9 3 12 L 7 1 8 M 2 0 2 N* 1 3 4
T o ta ls 72 34 106 P e r cent 68 32 100
’^Observation of one sow with three piglets.
Table 7. Sex ratio of hunter-killed peccaries in the Tortolita Moun tains in 1963 and 1964.
Y e a r M a le s F e m a le s
1963 15 15
1964 18 14
T o ta ls 33 29 (F,C,HtE,M,D)
12
II
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2 I
0
MAMJjASONDJ F
MONTH OF THE YEAR
. Birth months of young peccaries observed on the study area at various times in 1963-64. (A-M) Herd Designation. Appendix A. 31
Table 8. Litter size of three age classes of young peccaries in the Tortolita Mountains.
Number of young Frequency Per cent Total
Piglets (up to 2 weeks)
1 0 o 0 2 6 80 12 3 1 20 _Z_
Av. 2. 1 young/litter 100 15
One-fourth grown (2-6 mos. )
1 4 33 4 2 4 67 8 3 0 0 _0
Av. 1. 5 young/litter 100 12
One-half grown (7-10 mos. }
1 5 31 5 2 4 51 8 3 1 18 _3_
Av. 1. 6 young/litter 100 16 32
Movements and Home Range
Observations of peccary herds on successive days at various times throughout the year provided records of eight minimum daily herd movements. These movements ranged from . 11 mile during the fall to 1.06 miles during the summer with an average of . 62 mile throughout the year.
A ll movement distances were recorded by straight-line measurement. Since the maximum length of the observed minimum home range was 2. 25 miles, the peccaries could have traveled over most of it in a short period.
The observed movements of tagged animals averaged . 77 m ile and ranged from . 10 mile to 1. 13 miles. Two ear-tagged animals were harvested during the 1964 javelina hunt. The distance from the point of marking to the point of recovery ranged from . 75 to . 93 m ile.
Minimum home ranges were determined by connecting the extreme points of sight observations when plotted on a topographic map
(Figure 9). Home range areas were then obtained by using a polar planimeter. This method was used because it enclosed an area with in which the peccaries were known to have been. The shape of the home ranges was not influenced by the topography.
It could not be assumed that home ranges ended at the edge of the study area. For this reason, only ranges completely within the study area were measured. ! ^ / .v W w , ®
/W y = • Figure 9. Minimum home ranges; with movements of peccary marked and subsequently identified. 34 The areas of four minimum home ranges varied from 1. 03 to 3. 12 square miles. Seasonal Activities Spring and early summer activities. The longest dry period of the year in southern Arizona is from mid-March to mid-July. Activ ities of the peccaries during this time were greatly influenced by the availability of cover. Peccaries selected bedding and resting sites which were protected from the intense summer heat (Figure 11). In the evenings the peccaries fed on the slopes and bajadas and at sunrise they moved up into caves to sleep during the daylight hours. When the peccaries traveled from the feeding areas to the bed ding areas, one animal would lead the herd up the winding trails and canyons. The distance traveled between caves and feeding areas was usually between one-quarter and one-half mile. However, the alti tudinal movement was usually less than 300 feet. After a herd reached the cave or resting site, the lead ani mal would usually stand watch while the rest of the herd began to dig bed impressions. Eventually most of the herd huddled in groups of three and four, while other animals stood or rested off by themselves. If piglets were present, they slept on top of a huddled group in the depressions between animals. 35 Herds remained in the caves throughout the day until the sun had set. When the evening shadows began to shade the steep canyons, the peccaries moved down the trails to the bajadas to feed. Daily observations showed that in the summer peccaries fed almost exclusively during the evening hours. Eddy (1959) observed herds of peccary during the hours from 11:00 P. M. to 12:30 A. M. in the vicinity of prickly-pear plants. On examination of these plants at daybreak, he found evidence of recent feeding. Elder (1956) observed the nocturnal watering habits of peccaries during the summer months. During the summer of 1963, I found several herds bedded down before daybreak in areas near freshly clipped prickly-pear pads. On several occasions I watched these herds awaken at sunrise and move into near by caves. Throughout the summer, herds preferred the dirt floors of caves to the dense cover of the canyon bottoms (Figure 10). From May to July all the herds I observed were resting in or moving to or from caves. The caves ranged from 16 to 100 square feet in area and had been formed by erosion of granitic outcroppings. In several of the larger caves there were potsherds which indicated Indian activity. Deep, well shaded caves were definitely used more than those afford ing less shade. Access trails to the caves did not Lead directly up the canyon wall, but wound back and forth and finally entered the cave 36 from one or both sides. Some of the caves had only one possible entrance because of their location. All the herds I observed entered the caves after sunrise, but before the sun temperatures reached 85°F. However, on overcast days, the peccaries entered caves up until the sun temperatures reached 90°F (Table 9). Maximum and minimum summer tempera tures, from May to September, for one large cave which was fre quently used by peccaries were 99° and 65°F. respectively (Table 10). There was a greater concentration of peccaries in the rugged cave areas during the months of May, June and July. Several herds were observed using the same canyon and caves during the summer period. It almost seemed as if the herds were using the area in differ ent shifts. Figure 12 shows the overlap of ranges of three peccary herds in an area having an abundance of caves. 37 Figure 10. A large cave used by peccaries during the spring and early s u m m e r. Figure 11. A typical scat station and bedding site used by peccaries during the spring and summer. 38 I MILE TRAPPING • LOCATION ▲ CAVES Figure 12. Observations on summer movements of a small peccary herd unit (E) and the range overlap by two other peccary herds (D) and (F). i 39 Table 9* Summer observations of peccaries entering caves. D ate Time Temperature R e m a rk s May 8, 1963 7:25 A. M. 78° Sunny May 30, 1963 6:24 A . M . 7 5 ° Sunny June 8, 1963 6:40 A. M. 7 4 ° Sunny June 26, 1963 6:27 A. M. 82° Sunny July 11, 1963 7:08 A . M . 8 2 ° Sunny 0 00 July 16, 1963 6:45 A . M . CO Sunny August 6, 1963 7:10 A . M . 7 6 ° O v e rc a s t 40 Table 10. Maximum-minimum temperatures (0F. ) in a large cave used by peccaries. D ate M a x im u m M in im u m M a y 6 - 17 8 5 ° 6 5 ° 18 - 23 8 8 ° 6 8 ° 24 - 28 8 8 ° 7 4 ° June 6 8 8 ° 7 2 ° 7 - 17 9 4 ° 7 3 ° 18 - July 3 9 4 ° 7 0 ° 4 - 16 9 8 ° 8 2 ° 17 - 19 9 7 ° 8 5 ° 20 - 25 9 8 ° 8 2 ° 26 - 29 9 9 ° 8 0 ° 30 - A ugust 0 o 00 2 9 3 ° 3 - 9 9 3 ° 7 7 ° 10 - 20 9 3 ° 8 1 ° 21 - 27 8 9 ° 8 5 ° 28 - 31 9 0 ° 8 3 ° 41 Late summer activities. The heaviest rainfall of the year in the desert mountain ranges of southern Arizona comes from about m id- July until mid-September. The beginning of this period breaks the drought and also lowers temperatures and raises humidity. It brings a transformation to the desert as plants, long dormant, begin to sud denly show new leaves. New shady areas appear because of new leaves on the trees. With these physical changes in the environment, the habits of the peccaries change too. The shorter days and cooler nights prompt the peccaries to feed more during daylight hours. On the cloudy and rainy days they were even found feeding in late morning. As the sun broke through the cloud cover the herds moved into the shaded portions of the canyons. About 7:30 A. M ., with the diminishing morning shad ows, the herds slowly moved into the dense brushy thickets to bed down (Figure 13). These dense thickets provided total shade, adequate ventilation, cool moist soil and protection for the herds. Almost no use of caves was noted after the summer rains began. Occasionally a cave was used as temporary shelter during a thunderstorm, but not as a resting site. Rain pools were readily used by the peccaries for drinking, but no evidence of wallowing was noted. Fall activities. The shorter dry period during the year is from mid-September to the end of November. The vigorous growth of 42 grasses and forbs, initiated by the late summer rains, continued into the short dry period and provided an abundance of forage. This abun dance of forage and the cooler temperatures probably accounted for the increased activity of peccaries at higher elevations. Several herds were repeatedly observed feeding in the lower limits of the desert grassland at an elevation of about 3, 600 feet but they could still be found resting in the dense thicket of the rugged canyon bottoms. During this period, the peccaries fed in the early morning hours on the bajadas and canyon walls. Later they moved into the canyon and wash bottoms to bed down. There was no definite travel pattern between the feeding and bedding areas. The herds fed into the bedding site and then bedded down. The cool morning temperatures caused some animals to rest alone in a sunny portion of the bedding area. Usually all herds were bedded by 10:30 A. M. (Figure 15). The cool temperatures appeared to increase the use of caves during the evening hours. Winter activities. The longest rainfall period of the year is from the beginning of December to the middle of March. The winter activities were variable. Sometimes the herds would spend a few days down on the desert and sometimes they spent a week in the higher grassland. At this time of the year, I found peccaries at almost any elevation in any type of habitat. When feeding along the higher ridges, peccaries could be found bedded on benches below the ridge crests 43 (Figure 14). When the herds were feeding along the bajadas in the lower desert and foothills, they could be found bedded under mesquite and palo verde trees in the canyon and wash bottoms. Most herds were bedded by 12:30 P. M. (Figure 15). 44 Figure 13. Celtis pallida and other canyon bottom cover used during the late summer and fall. Figure 14. Mesquite cover and the benches used during the fall and winter. F ig u re 15. Monthly diurnal a c tiv ity patterns. ity tiv c a diurnal Monthly 15. re u ig F TIME OF DAY A.M. P.M. 12 10 II 7 4 9 6 6 8 2 5 3 5 7 I | RESTING | I A M TRAVELING FEEDING SPRING-SUMMER RTSl ! ! l •xi: J N D N 0 S A J J >x; ESN F H YEAR THE OF SEASON OT O TE YEAR THE OF MONTH SUMMER .LATE m J FALL t III' WINTER 45 46 Relationships with Other Animals The seasonal movements and activities of the peccaries were not greatly influenced by the presence of other animals in the area. They either tolerated or ignored the deer and range cattle that invaded their bedding area. Predators were the only animals that caused a herd of peccaries to alter their daily activity pattern. Neutralism with deer and cattle. Several investigators have reported seeing peccary in company with or in close proximity to desert mule deer and range cattle. I have observed peccary herds bedded near or feeding with deer and/or cattle in the study area. Possibly the closest relationship was between the peccary and the range cattle. Peccary herds and range cattle used the same resting cover in the canyon bottoms, headers and saddles. Peccaries were also observed bedded down within 25 yards of feeding range cattle. Peccary herds evidently use cattle bedding areas during the cooler months of the year. Numerous peccary scats have been found interspersed among and directly on top of cattle droppings. Competition with cattle for food. Peccaries and cattle are not in direct competition for food. However, they both feed on many of the same plant species. The prickly-pear is one species that is in demand during the hot dry summer months. Fortunately there is more than enough to go around. Cattle and peccary herds have been 47 observed feeding side by side in the same canyon without conflict. Eddy (1961) states that significant competition probably does not exist except in rare instances where the supply of important food plants is low and the peccary numbers high. Predation. No direct observation of predation was noted dur ing this study. However, predation was believed to be partially respon sible for m ortality among the juveniles. On two occasions bobcats have been seen in close proxim ity to peccary herds. But a bobcat was never observed following a herd. Knipe (1957) states "the coyote is the javelina's preeminent foe. " I have on numerous occasions found peccary hair in coyote scats On May 28, 1963 a herd of five peccaries was observed feeding in a canyon bottom. Suddenly, the sow and three juveniles hid under a desert hackberry while the sow stood watch. The other adult walked quickly down the canyon and across the flats. A single coyote was observed trailing 30 to 40 yards behind this animal. Eventually both animals moved into a large wash and out of sight. On January 9, 1964 the remains of an adult female peccary which had been captured, tagged and harnessed on December 13, 1963 were found in a canyon bottom about 60 yards from where the animal was marked. All evidence indicates this animal was killed by coyotes while it was recovering from an injection of Sernylan. 48 Knipe (1957) states the mountain lions are less of a hazard because of their scarcity in major javelina territory. He goes on to say that "other instances however, seem to indicate that lions will not bother javelina if deer are plentiful. " In the study area, deer are scarce and peccaries are plentiful. However, no evidence accumulated during this study indicated predation by the mountain lion. A P P E N D IX A Composition fluctuation of observed peccary herds in the Tortolita Mountain study area. H e rd T o ta l A d u lt 1/2 grown 1/4 grown Piglet Date A 3 3 5 - 1 -6 3 3 3 -- 5 -3 0 -6 3 4 3 1 -- 1 2 -1 6 -6 3 3 3 - - - 3 - 7 -6 4 B 1 0 * 8 2 6 — 8 —63 10 7 - - 3 8 - 1 -6 3 9 * * 6 3 -- 1 2 -1 3 -6 3 8 5 3 - - 1 2 -1 8 -6 3 C 5 4 1 2 -2 7 -6 3 4 4 --- 5 - 8 -6 3 4 4 -- - 6 -2 4 -6 3 4 4 -- - 6 -2 6 -6 3 4 4 - -- 9 -1 8 -6 3 5 4 -- 1 1 0 -1 1 -6 3 5 4 -- 1 1 0 -2 1 -6 3 5 4 -- 1 1 0 -2 8 -6 3 5 4 - 1 - 1 2 - 9 -6 3 5 4 - 1 - 1 - 9 -6 4 5 4 1 - - 2 —28 —64 D 6 4 2 4 -1 9 -6 3 6 4 2 -- 4 -2 1 -6 3 10 6 1 - 3 8 -2 0 -6 3 10 6 1 - 3 8 -2 1 -6 3 10 7 - 3 - 1 0 -1 1 -6 3 10 7 3 - — 1 2 -1 1 -6 3 10 7 3 -- 1 -2 0 -6 4 10 7 3 - - 2 - 4 -6 4 49 50 Composition fluctuation of observed peccary herds in the Tor toll ta Mountain study area--continued. H e rd T o ta l Adult 1/2 grown 1/4 grown Piglet Date E 5 2 3 5 -2 8 -6 3 5 2 3 - - 6 —21 —63 4 1 3 -- 7 - 8 -6 3 5 2 3 -- 7 -1 1 -6 3 7 2 3 - 2 7 -2 9 -6 3 F 3 2 1 5 -2 4 -6 3 3 2 1 - ~ 7 - 2 -6 3 5 2 1 - 2 7 -1 6 -6 3 G .2 2 7 - 5 -6 3 H 15 12 1 2 8 - 6 -6 3 18 12 4 2 - 1 -2 7 -6 4 I 9 5 2 2 1 1 -2 5 -6 3 9 5 2 2 - 2 -1 0 -6 4 J 13 9 3 1 2 -1 3 -6 3 13 9 3 1 - 2 -2 8 -6 3 13 ❖ ❖ ❖ 9 3 1 - 3 - 1 -6 3 10 9 1 -- 6 - 6 -6 3 10 9 1 -- 7 -1 9 -6 3 K 10 7 2 1 _ 1 2 -1 3 -6 3 11 8 2 1 - 1—28 —64 12 9 2 1 - 2 -1 4 -6 4 L 5 5 8 -2 6 -6 3 8 7 1 - - 1 2 - 9 -6 3 8 7 1 - - 1 2 -1 7 -6 3 M 2 2 1 2 -2 7 -6 4 *One adult and one piglet lost during tagging operation. ❖ ❖ One female adult lost to predators before recovering from a dose of S e rn yla n . ❖ ❖ ❖ Two adults killed during the 1963 hunt. LITERATURE CITED Crockford, A. J., Frank A. Hayes, James H. Jenkins, and Seldon D. Feurt. 1957. Nicotine salicylate for capturing deer. J. Wildl. M g m t., 2 1 :2 1 3 -2 2 0 . Day, Gerald I. 1963. Capturing and marking techniques. Arizona Game and Fish Dept. Completion Report. Project W 78-R-7, W P 1, J 8. Eddy, Thomas A. 1959. Foods of the collared peccary Pecari tajacu sonoriensis (Mearns) in southern Arizona. Unpub. M. S. thesis, Univ. Arizona Library, Tucson. ______1961. Foods and feeding patterns of the collared pec cary in southern Arizona. J. Wildl. Mgm t., 25:248-257. Elder, James B. 1956. Watering patterns of some desert game ani mals. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 20:368-378. Ford, C. 1955. Biggest bear on earth: Alaska kodiak. Sat. Eve. Post. 228:38-39. Kirkpatrick, Ralph D. and Lyle K. Sowls. 1962. Age determination of the collared peccary. J. Wildl. Mgmt. 26:214-217. Knipe, Theodore. 1957. Javelina in Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department. Bull. 2. 96 pp. Minnamon, Paul J. 1962. The home range of the collared peccary Pecari tajacu (Mearns) in the Tucson Mountains. Unpub. M. S. thesis, Univ. Arizona Library, Tucson. Neal, Bobby J. 1959a. Techniques of trapping and tagging the collared peccary. J. Wildl. Mgmt., 23:11-16. . 1959b. A contribution on the life history of the collared peccary in Arizona. Am. Midland Naturalist. 61:177-190. Nichol, A. A. 1952. The natural vegetation of Arizona. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson. Tech. Bull. 127 (revision of Tech. Bull. 68). 51 Smith, H. V. 1952. The climate of Arizona. Univ. of Arizona, Tucson. Bull. 279. 99 pp.