BiologyCoachOnlineBlog

A tapir is a relatively large, herbivorous mammal. Most tapirs are about 6.5 feet (2m) long and they stand about three feet (1m)high. Tapirs weigh between 350 and 700 pounds (150-300 kg). They are similar in shape to a pig and they have a distinctive short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeastern Asia. Their closest relatives are other odd-toed ungulates including horses, donkeys, zebras, and rhinoceri. Their coats are short and range in color from reddish-brown to grey to nearly black. One notable exception is the Malayan tapir which has a white, saddle-shaped marking on its back. Tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, stubby tails, and hooved-toes. Their four-toed front feet and three-toed hind feet help them to walk on muddy and soft ground. The striped and spotted coats of baby tapirs act as camouflage. Female tapirs have a single pair of mammary glands while male tapirs have characteristically long penises.

The tapir's snout is highly flexible allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. Tapirs often exhibit the Flehmen response in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth to detect scents. Tapirs reach sexual maturity between three and five years of age. Female tapirs can reproduce every two years bearing a single calf after a gestation of about 13 months. The lifespan of a tapir is about 25 to 30 years. Apart from mothers and their young, tapirs lead solitary lives. A tapir's diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves. Tapirs are predominantly nocturnal and spend most of their waking hours foraging for food.

Habitat loss has resulted in the watch-listing of all four tapir species: the Brazilian and Malayan tapirs are classified as vulnerable while the Baird's tapir and the mountain tapir are endangered.