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 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. About the series: Look West: What do you find? Wide, wild landscapes...extraordinary plants and animals...rugged people rich in history...ghost towns and working ranches...ancient pueblos and ultramodern urban areas. In the West, coyotes howl. Native Americans endure and flourish. Kokopelli, the mythical humpbacked flute player, prances across the cliff dwellings and into popular cultureand thousands of curio shops. Every small, handsome book in Rio Nuevo Publishers' new Look West series presents a unique aspect of the American West. Using words and pictures, each volume explores a special Western topic or phenomenon, and all have been written and illustrated by regional experts. Each of these attractive 6 x 6-inch hardcover books contains 64 pages of text, illustrations, and photographs. And each one allows the reader to capture the spirit of the West in the palm of a hand. Read Less