The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a species of peccary found in Central and South America and the only member of the genus Tayassu. [note 1] Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar in appearance to pigs, but covered in dark hair (except on certain regions, such as the throat, where it is cream).

The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a species of peccary found in Central and South America and the only member of the genus Tayassu. Multiple subspecies have been identified. White-lipped peccaries are similar in appearance to pigs, but covered in dark hair (except on certain regions, such as the throat, where it is cream).

The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a classic example of an ecological engineer. They change the forest floor by trampling in huge herds of 20-300 individuals, a unique phenomenon in the Amazon.

White-lipped peccaries have vanished from areas in Mexico and northern Argentina where they once lived. Peccaries are threatened by hunters and by deforestation. In areas where they seem to be disappearing, only herds of fewer than 10 members remain (Mayer and Wetzel 1987).

The white-lipped peccaries are members of the same family as the pigs (Tayassuidae) and are also popularly known as wild pigs. Sometimes they are mistaken for wild boars and feral pigs, which are an invasive and exotic species and actually belong to another family (Suidae).

The White-lipped Peccary, known locally as Tayassu pecari, is native to Central and South America. It is so called because of the white fur around its mouth, chin and lower cheek. In size and shape the White-lipped Peccary is like a domesticated pig, with a large head, thick neck, long snout and short tail.

The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a species of pig native to the Tayassuidae family found in Central and South America. It is terrestrial and gregarious, it likes to form herds of 50 to 300 individuals and can be found in the 5 Great Forests.

The white-lipped peccary inhabits numerous habitat types across its large range (Nowak, 1991). This species typically prefers dense, humid tropical forests, usually with primary growth, although they do inhabit drier regions such as dry savannas, the Paraguayan Chaco, and tropical dry forests (Schmidt, 1990; March, 1993).

White-lipped peccaries are profoundly social creatures, forming large, cohesive groups that exhibit complex social structures and behaviors. These herds, often comprising over a hundred individuals, are predominantly led by a dominant female, illustrating a matriarchal social system that is somewhat unusual among large mammals.

White-lipped peccaries are the larger of the two species of peccaries found in Belize. Though they resemble pigs, they are distant relatives, and are in their own Family called Tayassuidae. White-lipped peccaries are social animals that forage in large groups of up to 300 individuals.