 Hello Friends!!! Today I want to talk about the javelina. The javelina resembles a wild boar. Javelinas are located in the Sonoran Desert. They live in large packs with up to 53 javelinas at a time! Having a large family allows the javelinas to defend their territory. Javelinas mainly eat prickly pear cactus and agave. They also have short legs and pig-like snout noses. They have sharp teeth and short, coarse, black and white hair. WHO AM I?
I am the Javelina (Tayassu tajaci) and I am also known as collard pecary. I resemble a wild boar. I am not known to be suffering or at risk of endangerment or extinction. WHERE DO I LIVE? I mainly reside in desert washes, cactus, forests of palo verde, and grasslands combined with cactus and shrubs. I am located in many U.S. southern areas like Arizona, New Mexico, and as far south into Mexico, and Central America. I come from large families, and we stick together to defend their territory with up to 53 in a pack at a time. WHAT DO I EAT? My main food source consists of agave's and prickly pears. I am a herbivore and I digest coarse, chewed food. Other sources of food include roots, insects, and reptiles. HOW DO I LOOK? On average, I am about 2 feet tall and I weigh between 35-55 pounds. I also range from 3-4 feet long.. I have short legs and a pig-like snout nose. I have long canine teeth and short coarse black and white hair. HOW DO I REPRODUCE? Usually one authoritative male is in charge of all breeding. The gestation period is usually around 145 days. The females tend to give birth to 1-3 young. Birthing mothers are pulled from the herd to protect babies from being eaten. Older sisters often support and act as nursemaids for mothers. FUN FACT ABOUT ME? When fed by humans I may often lose fear of humans like other wild animals. I hold scent glands on rumps and I rub by scent to mark my territory. I am not a pig, however I do share similarities with the pig. I am from the “new world” and the pig is from the “old world”. ACTIVITY TIME!!! Kindergarteners-Now use your drawing skills to represent the javelina the best you can. Use the pictures to get ideas of color, shapes and details. When your finished have an adult write down your words about the most interesting thing you learned about the javelina! Be creative and have fun!!! First and Second Graders- Now use your drawing skills to represent the javelina the best you can use the pictures to get ideas of color, shapes and details. Then write three or four descriptive sentences about what you have learned about the javelina. Third Graders-Find a picture of a javelina on the internet, cut and copy the picture to a word document.Next to the picture you copy draw your best representation of the javelina. Now write a story and include some facts about the javelina, that you learned. Have fun with this, there is no right or wrong! Be creative!!! ASSESSMENT TIME FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ME FROM THE WEBSITES BELOW!!!! http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Javelina.php http://www.desertusa.com/magnov97/nov_pap/du_collpecc.html |