Javelina

Javelinas are collared peccaries — pig-like, but not pigs — that travel in musky, snuffling herds. They're common across parts of Mohave County and patchier out on the open flats, so for this parcel they're more a "maybe" than a fixture. You'll often smell a herd, a heavy skunky musk, before you ever see one.

They survive the desert by sticking together and eating almost anything — prickly pear pads spines and all, roots, bulbs, mesquite beans — which is exactly where they collide with people. A herd will happily root up a garden, chew drip irrigation, and tear into anything that smells like food or water. Around a homestead they're less a danger than a destructive, determined nuisance.

Give them room and they'll move off. They have poor eyesight and can get defensive in a tight group, especially if a dog is along and starts a fight they can't win — a cornered herd will pop their teeth and charge. Don't feed them, don't corner them, and fence what you don't want rototilled. Respect the herd and it's a non-event.