Tapir

News: World Tapir Day is being observed globally on 30th April to raise awareness about the species of Tapir and protect it from human encroachment.

About Tapir

• Tapirs are large herbivorous mammals.
• They are also known as “living fossils” due to their lineage dating back millions of years.
• They form one of the oldest surviving genera in the animal kingdom.
• Habitat: They live in wetlands, forests, savanna, and rainforests.
  • Tapirs prefer wooded or grassy areas with places to shelter during the day and a lake, river, or pond for taking a night time dip.
• Distribution: They inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia.
  • They have a range that includes Mexico, Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia’s Malaya and Sumatra.
• Species: There are four species of Tapir found around in the world:
  • Malayan Tapir: They are the largest tapir species and native to Southeast Asia. 
  • Baird’s Tapir: They are the largest land mammal in Central America.
  • Lowland Tapir: They are the most widely distributed species. They are native to South America from Colombia to Paraguay and Brazil.
  • Mountain Tapir: They inhabit the high-altitude regions of the Andes. They are one of the most endangered mammals in the world.
• Characteristics: 
  • Appearance:
    • Tapirs have four toes on the front feet and three on the back.
    • They have small eyes and ears, and a teardrop-shaped body that is narrow in front and wider at the back, helping them move through dense vegetation.
    • Their nose and upper lip form a short, flexible, trunk-like snout, which they use for smelling, breathing underwater like a snorkel, and grabbing leaves and fruits.
    • Males are slightly smaller than females.
  • Diet: They are herbivores and feed upon seeds and fruits, leaves, tree bark and aquatic plants.
  • Behaviour: Tapirs communicate through high-pitched whistles, defensive snorts with foot stamping, and scent marking to identify others and avoid conflict.
    • They are good swimmers and spend much of their time in water, where they cool off, find food, and escape predators.
• Ecological role:
  • They are important seed dispersers, or “forest gardeners”.
    • They help to maintain forest diversity by transporting seeds over long distances.
  • They are now considered a barometer of ecosystem health.
• Threat:
  • Hunting for their meat and hide
  • Habitat loss
• Conservation status:
  • Three of the four tapir species: the Malayan tapir, Baird’s tapir, and mountain tapir are classified as Endangered by the IUCN.
  • IUCN status of Lowland Tapir is Vulnerable.