Note: These images are NOT available on the Azimages CD-Rom Disc
We've setup an automated video camera system at a watering hole located in southeastern Arizona to take pictures of the native wildlife. A prominent resident of Arizona is the collared peccary, also commonly known as the Javalina or musk hog.
Peccary Facts:
Here are some important statistics about the collared peccary:
| Weight | 14-30kg (31-68lbs) |
| Overall Length (head+body) | 80-105cm (2.6-3.5ft) |
| Diet | Vegetarian. Primary food includes the prickly pear cactus. Also known to eat eggs and carrion. |
| Group Size | Commonly 5-15 individuals |
| Behavior | Typically avoid human contact, but may become very dangerous if a group member is injured, leading to an attack by the entire group. |
| Reproduction | Arizona species typically mate in February or March and produce a litter of 1-4 young. Gestation period is 115 days. |
| Range | 0.5 to 8 square km. |
| Life Span | 24 years |
| Running Speed | 35km/h (21mph) |
| Sounds | growls, barks, squeals, snorts |
| Scent | Scent gland used for identifying group members and marking territory. |
| Predators | Coyote, Bobcat, Puma, Jaguar |
The name "Javalina" originated from the Spanish word for javelin or sword. The name was most likely chosen as a reference to the Peccary's sharp tusks.
About the Surveillance System:
The watering hole is located in the center of a 30 acre parcel of land in Southeastern Arizona, approximately 15 miles from the town of Benson. Water is automatically refilled from a well and circulated by means of small powerhead pump.
One black and white CCD camera is located on a pole approximately 6 feet tall located approximately 10 feet from the watering hole. A dusk-to-dawn 60-watt high-pressure sodium lamp is located on an adjacent pole to provide illumination during the night.
The SnapRecorder software was developed in-house to automatically record pictures with fully unattended operation. The software operates on a Pentium/90 computer with approximately 4GB of disk space. One picture is taken from a black and white CCD camera every 30 seconds and saved to disk in the JPEG format.
The thumbnails and web pages of the Javalina images were developed with the ImageIndex Software, also available online.
Observation Statistics:
We have observed groups of Javalina with as few as 1 member and as many as 12 individuals. Javalina appear to be most active at night since this study was begun (mid-march). One large group was also recorded in the early morning, at approximately 6:00am.
Time codes are included in the names of the individual images. For example, 19990410173035.jpg would indicate 4-10-1999, 17:30:35 (i.e. 5:30pm). All times are recorded in Arizona standard time (GMT-7).
Other Animals:
Observations of other animals include a variety of rabbits, as well as an occasional domestic dog. Dear are known to frequent the area, although none have been recorded as of yet.
Contacting the Author:
name: Scott M. Baker
email: smbaker@sb-software.com
webpage: http://www.sb-software.com/