Tapir | Facts & Information

Origin

Tapir is related to rhinos and horses. Tapir males are called bulls, females are called cows, and Cubs are calves. The four species of tapir are: the Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris), which is found in South America; the Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), which lives in the Belize Islands; the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), which lives in the Andes Mountains, and the Malaysian or Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus), which lives in Southeast Asia.

Tapirs have lived on Earth since prehistory, but since then they have to survive in harsh conditions, being hunted by humans, but also by other larger or stronger carnivores. Only a few Indian tribes (especially in South America) refuse to kill tapirs because they consider them holy animals.

Tapirs species are divided into four large breeds, classified by the areas in which they live, but also by certain characteristics. Thus, there is the plain tapir (tapirus terrestris), also called brazilian or South american, which lives in the tropical forests of South America, the one that appears in many of the Indian myths and legends.

Its relative living at Higher Heights was called the mountain tapir (tapirus pinchaque), found on the high plateaus of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Both breeds suffer from deforestation in the mentioned areas.

Also in South America lives the tapir baird (tapirus bairdii), especially in southern Mexico and in a few small areas of Colombia. It is the second largest of its species, after the Indian tapir, but also the largest land mammal in Mexico.

And the" giant " of the family, the Indian tapir (tapirus indicus) or Asian populates Southeast Asia and represents the breed that has endured best-enough years – in the conditions of reserves and even in zoological parks.

Tapir Food

Tapirs are herbivorous and feed on water plants, fruits and buds, sometimes twigs and leaves. A Tapir can consume up to 40 kilograms of vegetation in a day. They are quite cautious animals, usually even skittish, rarely entering into conflict with other species.

In fact, they prefer to hide during the day and look for food after sunset, when it is not very risky to be seen by predators. In the dark, tapirs look for areas covered with grass or on which shrubs and bushes grow, from which they feast on saturated.

They eat leaves, buds, seeds, and fruits – almost anything that the vegetation in their territory provides, and even algae-like aquatic plants. These water delicacies can be reached because they are also very good swimmers, frolicking in the mud being one of their favorite "pastimes".

Tapir Appearance

These animals measure between 1.8 and 2.5 meters in length, depending on the species, the largest being the Malayan tapir and the smallest mountain tapir. Their weight ranges from 180 to 320 kilograms. Their fur has short hair and is reddish-brown or black in color.

They have robust bodies with short legs, a prominent bottom and a short tail. Their hooves are deformed and they have four toes on their front paws and 3 toes on their back paws, which help them walk on soft and muddy ground.

Their sensitive ears are round and white tipped, and their eyes are small, brown with a bluish tinge that gives them poorer visibility. But a well-developed sense of smell helps compensate for that weakness. Tapirs have an elongated and flexible rat, which they use to reach branches and the like, which they would not normally be able to reach.

Tapir Behavior

Tapirs are nocturnal animals, except for the mountain tapir which is more active during the day. They spend most of the day underwater, using their rat to breathe the surface air.

Despite their size, tapirs are very agile swimmers, they can also dive into the water and walk on the bottom just like rhinos. When immersed in water, they let small fish cleanse them of parasites on their skin. Tapirs also wallow in mud to cool off and get rid of insects on them. Tapirs are also very agile climbers.

These animals are solitary and spend most of their lives alone, with the exception of females with their young. Due to their solitary lifestyle, tapirs can become very aggressive with each other if they meet by chance.

To avoid these surprise encounters, tapirs mark their territory with urine and alert each other to their presence, making sharp sounds and whistles. Tapirs have very few natural predators because they are large animals, and their very thick skin makes it difficult for them to be grabbed by a predator's fangs.

Most of the threats come from tigers, jaguars, anaconda snakes and crocodiles. In front of a predator, a Tapir defends itself with powerful jaws and sharp teeth.

Tapir Breeding

Tapirs mate all year round, but especially in the rainy season. Puppies are born just before the rainy season begins the following year. Mating is done either in water or on land. The male mates with the female several times during her ovulation period.

After a gestation period of 13 months, the female gives birth to a single cub. A female Tapir can make cubs once every two years. Chickens, such as Brazilian tapir chicks, often have reddish-brown fur with white stripes and spots.

This pattern of fur helps them camouflage better. By the age of 4-7 months, their fur will darken. Puppies are weaned at the age of 6-8 months. Tapirs reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years, but females reach this age somewhat earlier. In the wild tapirs can reach the age of 35 years.

The number of tapirs began to decrease more and more, due to their intensive hunting for meat and skin. The destruction of their habitat also puts them at risk of extinction. The Brazilian tapir and Malayan tapir are classified as vulnerable species.

Baird's tapir and the mountain tapir are classified as endangered species, the most threatened of these two species being the mountain tapir. Today, several tapir conservation programs are underway, which will help save and restore the number of these animals.

The oldest tapir conservation project is Baird's project in costa Rica, dating back to 1994, and consists of placing collars with transmitters at the neck of tapirs in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica, to study their behavior and habitat preferences.