Javelinas, also known as collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu), are the only peccary species native to North America. Despite their porcine appearance, peccaries (Family Tayassuidae) are not pigs (Family Suidae). However, this superficial resemblance between javelinas and introduced feral hogs (Sus scrofa), they are often confused in Texas. Feral hogs are responsible for millions of dollars in agricultural and property damages each year and contribute to a great deal of environmental degradation (Timmons n.d.). Understanding how the ecological context of Texas contributes to this confusion is important for feral hog management plans that can inadvertently affect local javelina populations. This poster analyzes the spatial distribution of javelinas and hogs in Texas, US.
I'm Adam Johnson, an environmental anthropologist teaching at University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Northwest Vista College while completing my Ph.D. at UTSA after teaching as a lecturer at UNCC for 3 years.
My work engages human-animal relations. I am interested in how humans and wild animals find ways to get along. The focus of my research are the intimate moments of encounter between humans and wild animals. My current project explores human-javelina relations in Texas, including: affective relationships between javelinas and property owners, tourist-javelina encounters at Big Bend National Park, and the intimacy and care that pairs with violence in hunting.
I'm also interested in Science and Technology Studies, sexuality and gender, and primate behavior and ecology.
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