The name javelina comes from the
Spanish word for javelin or spear and refers to the animal's sharp tusks. In Arizona, the
javelina is also known as a collared peccary, because of the grayish-white band of fur
around its neck. Javelinas live in family groups of 5 to 15 members. Tough, leathery
snouts allow javelinas to eat cacti and other spiny desert plants without injury to their
mouths.
