Peccaries: Tayassuidae - Diet

Peccaries eat a wide variety of foods, allowing them to flourish in habitats other animals might find harsh. Depending on the species and where they live, they feed on fruit (especially the prickly pear), roots, bulbs, grass, acorns, pine nuts, and thistles. They find food by rooting (digging with the snout) through mud and soil. White-lipped peccaries break through seed shells using their muscular jaws and strong teeth. The food is fermented (broken down) by microorganisms in the fore stomach, which makes it easier to digest.