What In The World Is A Javelina?

Have you ever heard of a Javelina? Me neither!

I first happened upon this strange creature when holding a devo at the home of Chris and Julie Bridges the Sunday evening before last. Not that I saw one close up, but I saw pictures and the cleaned out skull of one that had been hunted down by a member of the family. Turns out that the Bridges family are avid hunters and this peculiar Javelina is one of the animals on their list.

In further research, I found this: The word Javelina is Spanish for spear. They are so named for their spear-like teeth. Common in the southern Texas area, the Javelina can weigh up to 60 pounds. Besides being one of the ugliest creatures in the known world, they also have built-in musk/scent bags that emit a horrible odor. They are not of the pig family, though. Many believe them to be of the rodent persuasion. On top of all of that, they cannot see very well.

When Blogger will allow me, I will add a picture for those of you who have never seen one of these animals.