Brazilian Tapir

True Wild Life | Brazilian Tapir | The South American Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), or Brazilian Tapir (from the Tupi tapi'ira) or Lowland Tapir or (in Portuguese) Anta, is one of four species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, and Baird's Tapir. It is the second largest land mammal in South America, after Baird's Tapir. The Brazilian Tapir (also known as the South American Tapir) is known to be a fantastic swimmer and the Brazilian Tapir is generally found close to water in the Amazon Rainforest.

It is dark brown in color, paler in the face, and has a low, erect crest running from the crown down the back of the neck. The round, dark ears have distinctive white edges. The South American Tapir can be found near water in the Amazon Rainforest and River Basin in South America, east of the Andes. Its range stretches from Venezuela, Colombia, and Guianas in the north to Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, in the south, to Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador in the West.

It is an herbivore. Using its mobile snout, this tapir feeds on leaves, buds, shoots, and small branches that it tears from trees, fruit, grasses, and aquatic plants.

The social life of the South American tapir is unknown. In the San Diego zoo, the captive group forms a structured herd, with dominant and subordinate animals of both sexes. The dominant male and female make what is called the 'sliding squeal', less than a second in duration. On hearing this sound the others make a 'fluctuating squeal', which is longer and quavers rather than merely decreasing in pitch. This is also uttered when a dominant individual approaches, apparently as an appeasement call and as a sign of pain or fear. Tapirs also utter a challenging snort, and a click made with the tongue and palate, perhaps as a species identification.

Mountain Tapir

True Wild Life | Mountain Tapir | The Mountain Tapir or Woolly Tapir  is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild. It is most easily distinguished from other tapirs by its thick woolly coat and white lips. Their wooly coat is dark brown in colour and they have pale coloured cheeks and throat. Their ears are large and are coloured white on the rims, they have small eyes and a large proboscis.

The Mountain Tapir lives, as the name implies, high in the mountains. But their numbers have diminished because farmers have extended the grasslands for domesticated livestock into the mountains. Mountain Tapirs are found in the forests and grasslands of the Andes at altitudes over 2,000 m (6,560 ft). They are active at night and spend their days resting among thick vegetation.

Tapirs are herbivores, and eat a wide range of plants, including leaves, grasses, and bromeliads. In the wild, particularly common foods include lupins, Gynoxys, ferns, and umbrella plants. It also seeks out natural salt licks to satisfy its need for essential minerals.

The Mountain Tapir is nocturnal, moving during daybreak and nightfall. In the afternoon, they hide in the bushes.

The Mountain Tapir has always been prey to food and game hunting. And now, there are plans to begin mining their mountains for minerals, further destroying the homes of Mountain Tapirs. Because Mountain Tapirs continue to vanish even today, increased measures must be taken to expand the protected area. Otherwise, they will become extinct in the very near future.

Baird's Tapir

True Wild Life | Baird's Tapir | Baird’s Tapir is a species of tapir that is native to Central America and northern South America. Baird’s Tapir is named for the American naturalist Spencer Fullerton Baird who traveled to Mexico in 1843 and observed the animals. However, the species was first documented by another American naturalist, W. T. White. Tapir is the largest land mammal in Central America.

The Baird's Tapir can be identified by the fact that this species of tapir has a cream coloured marking on it's face. The skin of the Baird's Tapir commands a very high price. Leather hunting and deforestation has caused their numbers to drop by less than half. Baird’s Tapir may be active at all hours, but is primarily nocturnal. It forages for leaves and fallen fruit, using well-worn tapir paths which zig-zag through the thick undergrowth of the forest. The animal usually stays close to water and enjoys swimming and wading  on especially hot days, individuals will rest in a watering hole for hours with only their heads above water.

It generally leads a solitary life, though feeding groups are not uncommon and individuals, especially those of different ages (young with their mothers, juveniles with adults) are often observed together. The animals communicate with one another through shrill whistles and squeaks. Baby Tapirs spend a long time in their mother's stomach, and are born only one offspring at a time. Their slow birth rate makes it difficult for their numbers to recover once it declines.

The Baird's Tapir is losing its home as people cut down the trees in the forests where it lives. Deforestation changes the shape of ponds and swamps, rendering water bodies that were once safe unsafe. On top of that, the increase in grasslands near their habitat has infected some Baird's Tapir with a contagious diseases carried by domesticated horses. The number of Baird's Tapir is said to have diminished to less than half over the last 30 years.

Malayan Tapir

 

True Wild Life | Malayan Tapir | The Malayan Tapir, also called the Asian Tapir, is the largest of the four species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The Malayan Tapir is the largest of the tapir species and has a distinctive white band across it's body. The Malayan Tapir once roamed the tropical forests across South East Asia but the Malayan Tapir today has a much smaller range primarily due to habitat loss.

The Malayan Tapirs are primarily solitary creatures, marking out large tracts of land as their territory, though these areas usually overlap with those of other individuals. Tapirs mark out their territories by spraying urine on plants, and they often follow distinct paths which they have bulldozed through the undergrowth.

The Malayan tapir eat grass and nuts, water plants, and fruits. They put food in their mouths using their noses, just like an elephant. Exclusively a vegetarian, the animal forages for the tender shoots and leaves of more than 115 species of plants (around 30 are particularly preferred), moving slowly through the forest and pausing often to eat and note the scents left behind by other tapirs in the area.

The Malayan Tapirs have black and white sections like the Giant Panda. You'd think it would make them stand out, but tigers and other predators have a hard time finding them. Malayan Tapirs go out at night, so predators can only see the white parts of them. Predators can't see their shape. They look relaxed, but can run away very quickly if in trouble. If they see a predator, they quickly hide under water.

The Malayan Tapirs are skilled swimmers that live in forests where there is water. The forests are disappearing. Living in small numbers in small forests, it's hard to find food. They're also have trouble on finding mates. Their numbers are becoming smaller. Out of all tapirs, Malayan Tapirs are the closest to extinction.

Tapir

True Wild Life | Tapir | The tapir is a large mammal that despite it's pig-like appearance, is believed to be most closely related to horses and rhinos. The tapir is found in moist, dense forests in the more temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere.

There are four known species of tapir today, all of which are classified as endangered. The different species of tapir are the Baird's Tapir which is native to Central America and the northern parts of South America. The Baird's Tapir can be identified by the fact that this species of tapir has a cream coloured marking on it's face. The Malayan Tapir (also known as the Asian Tapir) is the largest of the tapir species and has a distinctive white band across it's body. The Malayan Tapir once roamed the tropical forests across South East Asia but the Malayan Tapir today has a much smaller range primarily due to habitat loss. The Mountain Tapir is the smallest of the four different tapir species and (as the name suggests) it inhabits more mountainous regions rather than lowland forests. The Mountain Tapir is found in the high forests in the Andes mountains across Colombia, Ecuador and parts north of Peru. The Brazilian Tapir (also known as the South American Tapir) is known to be a fantastic swimmer and the Brazilian Tapir is generally found close to water in the Amazon Rainforest.

The tapir is a herbivore and spends it's time browsing for food to eat. The tapir eats leaves, twigs, branches, buds, shoots, berries, fruits and aquatic plants. Due to it's large size, the tapir has few natural predators in it's environment but it is known to be prey upon by wild cats such as tigers, jaguars and cougars along with large reptiles like crocodiles and even the odd snake. The human is believed to be the most common predator of the tapir as they have been hunted for food and even domesticated in some areas. Tapirs have a long, flexible nose (similar to the trunk of an elephant but no way near as big). The tapir uses it's prehensile snout to grab leaves and branches from bushes and low trees. Despite, their stocky build, tapirs are known to be fantastic swimmers and tapirs therefore spend a great deal of their time close to water which the tapirs use to cool down. Tapirs are even known to dive into the shallows in order to feed on the lush aquatic plants.

Tapirs tend to mate in the cooler months of April and May. After a gestation period of more than a year, the female tapir gives births to just one tapir baby. When the baby tapir is first born, it weighs around 10 kg and the baby tapirs also have a stripy coat particularly in comparison to the adult tapirs. Female tapirs are thought to breed every other year, and the baby tapirs tend to leave their mother when they are between 2 and 3 years old. Today, all four species of tapir are considered to be endangered. This is mainly due to do deforestation and habitat loss, and over hunting of tapirs by humans. Humans have hunted tapirs for both their meat and their leathery skin.

Tapirs are solitary animals with the exception of the mating season and the mother tapir nursing the baby tapir. Due to the fact that tapirs are very shy animals there has been little interaction between humans and wild tapirs (besides hunters). However, tapirs are known to defend themselves using their powerful jaws and although rare, tapir attacks on humans are known to occur. The most damage the tapir will generally do though is give you a nasty bite!