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By Lauray Yule. Grunting and grumbling, something scuffles through the desert. A pungent smell hangs in the air. Is it a pig? A hog? A wildebeest? No. It's a collared peccary, better known as a javelina. In Lauray Yule's Javelinas you will also learn that: they are nearly blind; grunting and teeth-popping noises are distinctive to each herd; javelina hide was highly coveted in the 1920s and 1930s for in making gloves and jackets; their bristles made excellent shaving brushes; and, relative newcomers to the West, javelinas have slowly migrated north from South America While most humans never see a javelina, they fascinate-and occasionally annoy-Western visitors and residents alike. Roots, prickly pear cactus, garden flowers and garbage are equally attractive to these omnivorous beasts. In spite of their bristly pelts and razor-sharp teeth, javelinas are quiet and family oriented animals and are very tolerant of their frisky piglings. 30 photos & illustrations. Hardcover; 64 pages.
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