Tapirus terrestris
Brazilian Tapir
Physical Description
Brazilian tapirs are large terrestrial mammals. Tapirs have short, robust bodies
and are about the size of a pony. Adult tapirs are around 84-110 cm (19-45 in.) at their
shoulder and from 227-363 kg (500-800 lbs.). In adult tapirs the body, head, and legs are
a uniform blackish-brown color and the belly region is a lighter color. Young tapirs are
dark with bright yellow or white longitudinal stripes alternating with lines of spots and a
white belly. The skin of the tapir is grey and they are partially covered in a short, smooth
hair. They also have a short, stiff mane of longer, darker hair that runs in a narrow stripe
from the forehead to the shoulder. The distinctive nose and upper lip of the tapir form a
trunk-like proboscis with transverse nostrils located at the tip. The eyes of the tapir are
small and flush with the sides of the head. They have ears that are oval, erect, and not
very mobile. The tips of the ears are also white. The tail of the tapir is just a short stump.
The hind feet of the tapir have three toes and the forefeet have four toes. The Brazilian
tapir has brachy-lophodont cheek teeth for grinding leaves. The typical dental formula
for them is I3/3, C1/1, P4/3, M3/3 = 42 (Emmons, 1997).
Distribution
Brazilian tapirs are found in South America, east of the Andes Mountains from
northern Columbia to southern Brazil and northern Argentina to Paraguay. They are
found up to at least 2,200 meters in elevation (Emmons, 1997). Tapirs are found all
through Paraguay.
Ontogeny and Behavior
The Brazilian tapir like most ungulates is herbivorous. They eat mostly water
plants, leaves, buds, twigs, and fruits. The tapir has a simple digestive tract with an
enlarged cecum where microorganisms live and digest the cellulose from the plants
(Emmons, 1997). Since plants are not an extremely efficient source of energy the tapir
needs to spend most of its day foraging for leaves in order to obtain adequate energy.
Tapirs are mostly nocturnal but they are partly diurnal. They travel to watering
areas to feed in the morning and evening. During the day they rest in thick vegetation,
wade in the water, or wallow in the mud. Wallowing helps to rid themselves of parasites
and pests (World Book, 1972).
Tapirs are solitary, wary creatures; although, many tapirs live in the same area.
They are shy and silent and are rarely seen in the wild. They are good runners, hillclimbers, sliders, waders, divers, and swimmers. When swimming they occasionally dive
to the bottom to root and dig for water plants.
Tapirs are generally silent but they do communicate with a loud whistle. They
will also grunt or stamp their feet when they are alarmed. Usually when tapirs are
alarmed they will run to the nearest water, dive in, and sink below the surface. If they
have to tapirs will defend themselves by biting in a swine-like fashion (Anderson & Jones,
1967). The senses of hearing and smell are highly developed in tapirs. Their enemies
include jaguars, pumas, and humans.
Ecology and Reproduction
Brazilian tapirs are found in rainforests, gallery forests, dry forests, the Chaco,
and open grassy habitats with water and dense vegetation for refuge. They favor waterside habitats like swamps, river edges, and lush stream bottoms (Emmons, 1997).
Mating takes place anytime of the year but is most common right before the rainy
season. Gestation period is about 390 days but varies from 392-405 days (Anderson &
Jones, 1967). Females most often give birth to one offspring every second year. They
will rarely give birth to two offspring. The young tapirs are born with a dark coat
patterned with yellow and white stripes and spots. This coloration makes the calves hard
to see in leafy shadows. The calves keep this coloration for about six months. Calves
stay with their mothers for six to eight months before living on their own. The average
lifespan of the Brazilian tapir is about 25 years in captivity (National Geographic Book of
Mammals, 1981).
Remarks
The Brazilian tapir is the only extant native New World odd-toed ungulate
(Emmons, 1997). The tapir is locally common, but it is scarce in over-hunted regions.
The meat of the tapir is prized and they are easy to locate with dogs or calls and are
vulnerable to local extinction. As of 1983 the IUCN classifies Tapirus terrestris as an
endangered species (Nowak & Paradiso, 1983).
References
Anderson, Sydney and J. Knox-Jones Jr. Recent Mammals of the World: A synopsis of
families. The Ronald Press Company. New York. 1967. pp. 377-379.
Emmons, Louise H. Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: A Field Guide. Second Edition.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 1997. pp.173-174.
Nowak, Ronald M. and John L. Paradiso. Walker’s Mammals of the World Fourth
Edition. The John’s Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. 1983. Vol. 2, pp.11631165.
The World Book Encyclopedia. Field Enterprises Educational Corporation. Chicago.
1972. Vol.19. pp. 30-31
Reference written by Cori Ankenbrandt, Biology 378 (Mammalogy), University of
Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Edited by Christopher Yahnke. Page last updated August 15,
2005