Amazonian Rainforest Animal
Brazilian Tapir
Tapirus terrestris
Aaron Lam & Nathan Persich 8.1
Anatomy
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Looks like big pig
Short Trunk
2” tail
Approx. 3 ft. tall.
Weighs up to 600 lbs
About 6 feet in length
Where does it live?
• Tropical zones of
mainland South America
• Brazil
• Bolivia
• Peru
• Ecuador
• Colombia
• the Guianas
• Venezuela
• Northern Argentina
Life cycle
• Mating any time of year
• 13 months later female gives birth to single calf
• Baby tapir independent 8 months after birth
• Baby tapirs have stripes and spots for camouflage.
• Markings fade after few months. Adult fur in a year.
• Tapir ready to breed in 2-3 years.
• Lives up to 30 years in captivity
Diet
• Herbivorous
• Eats aquatic plants, fruits, leaves, buds,
shoots, grasses
• Walk along bottom of streams eating water
plants
Habitat
• Somewhere with a river, creek, lake or
flooded plain nearby
• Forest and marshy lowlands
Habits
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Nocturnal
Loves water; can stay under for long time
Rests in shade of undergrowth at day
Will escape to water if threatened
Tapir’s Role In Ecosystem
• Spreads seeds
• Smash down small trees and break branches
that get in the way and clear path for other
animals
Threats
• Brazilian tapir is classified as vulnerable (at high
risk of extinction in the wild)
• Expected population reduction of >30% in the
next ten years or 3 generations, whichever is
longer (up to 100 years max)
• Main threats are loss of habitat (deforestation) and
being hunted for consumption
• Preyed upon by big cats (i.e. jaguar) and
crocodiles
Population
Estimated tapir population in Venezuela
• 10,000 south of Orinoco River
• 5,000 in Orinoco Delta
Bibliography
• http://www.redlist.org/
• http://ladywildlife.com/animal/braziliantapir.html
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/paint/subjects/mammals/tapir/Tapir
printout.shtml
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapir
• http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/images/animal%20fact/Tapir.pdf
• http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/pagegen/htm/fix/fg/fg_body.asp?sAnima
l=Lowland+(or+Brazilian)+Tapir
• http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/gifts/130-139/lowland-tapirpostcard-136.htm
• http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/animals/tapir.htm