Javelinas

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the physical characteristics of javelinas.

• Students will be able to identify the behavioral characteristics of javelinas.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension worksheet passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Javelinas are wild desert animals that resemble pigs. They are native to Mexico, South America and the American southwest. These animals get their name because of their extremely sharp tusks. The word javelina comes from the Spanish word for a sharp sword known as a javelin. Though they look like pigs, javelinas are not pigs. They are in another class of animal known as peccaries. Also known as musk hogs or tayaussas, javelinas are thinner than pigs with longer, thinner legs and smaller hooves. Also javelinas have three toes on each hind foot, while pigs have four. Their upper tusks are pointed down, while wild pigs have tusks that curl. Javelinas give off a very distinctive odor and can often be smelled before they are seen! They use this scent to mark their territories. Adults weigh between 30 and 55 pounds, which is about half the size of wild hogs.

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