BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- A new species of peccary -- and the largest -- has been discovered in the southeastern Amazon region of Brazil, a scientist announced Friday

A pig-like mammal about the size of a large dog, the newly named Pecari maximus was discoverd in the basin of the Rio Aripuana and confirmed to be a distinct species through a genetic analysis conducted by the Leiden Centre for Environmental Sciences in the Netherlands.

Locals already knew about the creature, although it's new to science. Tupi Indians call it Caitetu Munde, which means "great peccary which lives in pairs."

Dutch biologist Marc van Roosmalen of the University of Leiden recently was doing some field surveys in the area and saw the unusual mammal.

"One day I was looking at some monkeys, and I saw three peccaries pass in front of me totally silent," van Roosmalen told LiveScience. "They appeared and then disappeared without making any noise.

"Later, I asked the locals what I had seen," he added. "It shows that you really have to see things and then ask people what you've seen. They are not going to tell you otherwise. It's normal to them. It turns out to be their most hunted animal."

Peccaries are hoofed animals closely related to swine and hippopotami. Until now, only three species were known to science ─ the collared peccary, the white-lipped peccary and the Chaccoan peccary.

Measurements of the new peccary's body and skull confirm that the new species is larger than the other peccary species. The giant peccary has longer legs and its fur markings are completely different, van Roosmalen said.

(Agencies)