Pelage thick, bristly; well-developed dorsal mane of long, stiff
hairs extending along back from crown to rump; tail length 1555 mm; front feet with four toes, hind feet with three toes;
adult weight 14-30 kg: Pecari tajacu (collared peccary).
The Mammals of Texas
ORDER ARTIODACTYLA:
EVEN-TOED UNGULATES
This Order is characterized by either two or four (usually) hoofed toes on each foot,
with the exception of the peccary which has four toes on each forefoot, but only
three on the hind. The American forms of the order are readily divisible into two
groups on the basis of structure of the teeth, presence or absence of horns, and
structure of the stomach and feet. The pig group has crushing cheek teeth, upper
incisors, a simple stomach, no horns, four hoofed toes, and includes the peccaries.
The cow group has rasping cheek teeth, no upper incisors, two or four hoofed toes
on each foot, complex stomach, and horns or antlers in most species. It includes the
deer, elk and allies; cows and allies; and the pronghorn.
Seven species of artiodactyls are native to Texas although three of these — the
mountain sheep, bison, and American elk have been extirpated. Recent
reintroductions of these big game animals account for their current presence in the
state. In addition, 123 species of ungulates not native to Texas have been imported
into the state since 1930. For the most part, these "exotic" animals have been
confined on private ranches; however, seven species have escaped, reproduced, and
now exist in parts of Texas as free-ranging, feral populations that comprise a part of
the local fauna. As the possibility of sighting, or for finding the remains of, these
unusual animals mounts yearly in Texas, accounts for the most common exotics
have been included in this revision. Accounts of exotics are adapted from the book,
Texotics, by Elizabeth Cary Mungall and William J. Sheffield, Texas A&M
University Press, College Station, Texas.
3.
Four toes on each foot; horns or antlers present:
4.
5.
Sparsely covered with coarse bristly hair; some individuals with a
scantily haired dorsal mane; tail approximately 300 mm in length;
each foot with four toes (the middle two are flattened and have
hooves, whereas the lateral toes are higher up on the limb and do not
normally touch the ground); adult weight up to 350 kg: Sus scrofa
(feral pig).
Adults with reddish, brown, or dark brown pelage generally
heavily speckled with white spots:
6
8
Antlers flattened, palmate, and with numerous points: Dama
dama (fallow deer).
Antlers not palmate:
7.
2.
Males (rarely females) with branching antlers that are shed
annually. Family Cervidae:
5
Adults with unspotted pelage (juveniles often spotted):
KEY TO THE EVEN-TOED UNGULATES OF TEXAS
Medium size; body form stocky and barrel-like; head long and pointed
with very short neck; legs short; snout with terminal nasal disc (piglike); upper incisors present:
2
Large size; body form slender or cowlike; head with well-developed
neck; legs long; snout never piglike; upper incisors absent:
3
4
Males and females (except in nilgai) with backward curving,
unbranched horns no part of which is shed:
10
6.
1.
Two toes on each foot; males with prominent, forked horns;
horn sheaths shed annually; females usually with smaller horns
that do not shed: Antilocapra americana (pronghorn).
7
Antlers 75-100 cm in length along outer curve; normally with
only three tines; brow tines project outward to form a nearly
90° angle with main beam: Axic axis (axis deer).
Antlers 28-48 cm in length; normally with 3 or 4 tines
branching from main beam: Cervus nippon (sika deer).
8.
Large (cow size); conspicuous white or cream colored rump patch;
upper canine teeth normally present: Cervus elaphus (wapiti or elk).
coloration tan to black dorsally with striking white eye rings,
chin, chest, belly, and inner legs: Antilope cervicapra
(blackbuck).
Medium size; white rump patch reduced; upper canine teeth absent: 9
9.
Antlers usually equally branched (dichotomous) and normally with
five or more tines per side, including brow tine; metatarsal gland on
hind leg narrow and elongate, 75-125 mm long, and situated above
mid-point of shank; tail narrow at base: Odocoileus hemionus (mule
deer).
Antlers with all tines branching off the main beam in a nearly vertical
position; metatarsal gland on hind leg nearly circular and about ≤ 25
mm in diameter; tail broad at base, when alarmed held erect to show
conspicuous white "flag." Odocoileus virginianus (white-tailed deer).
10. Large size; body form stocky and compact ("cowlike"); conspicuous
hump dorsally over shoulder: Bos bison (bison).
Medium size; body form slender and "deer-like"; dorsal hump absent:
11
11. Horns short and smooth; or tall, marked with strong transverse
wrinkles, and twisted in a "corkscrew" pattern; but in all cases rise
straight above head in a V-shaped pattern:
12
Horns massive (in males), curve out and back from head and then
inward to form a "curl" at side of head; females with smaller horns
that do not curl, but horns in both sexes marked with strong transverse
wrinkles:
13
12. Large size; height at shoulder greater than height at rump, giving a
backward sloping appearance to profile; males with short, straight
horns seldom exceeding 18 cm in length; coloration uniform light
brown to iron gray: Boselaphus tragocamelus (nilgai).
Medium size; height at shoulder equal to height at rump, no backward
slope to profile; males with long, twisted horns up to 79 cm in length;
13. Conspicuous ventral mane of long hairs hanging from throat
and chest; coloration light rufous-brown; whitish rump patch
small and inconspicuous: Ammotragus lervia (Barbary sheep).
Ventral mane absent; coloration light brown to gray; white
rump patch large and prominent: Ovis canadensis (Bighorn
sheep).
Family Suidae (pigs)
Feral Pig, Sus scrofa*
Family Tayassuidae (peccaries)
Collared Peccary, Pecari tajacu
Family Cervidae (cervids)
Axis Deer (Chital), Cervus axis*, now Axis axis*
Fallow Deer, Cervus dama*, now Dama dama*
Wapiti or Elk, Cervus elaphus
Sika Deer, Cervus nippon*
Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus
White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus
Family Antilocapridae (pronghorn)
Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana
Family Bovidae (bovids)
Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus*
Bison, Bos bison
Bighorn Sheep, Ovis canadensis
Mouflon, Ovis aries* (formerly O. musimon) the wild ancestor
of domestic sheep
Barbary Sheep, Ammotragus lervia*
Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra*