Today, April 27, is World Tapir Day 2024, a date commemorated every year to remind the entire world of the grave danger these unique herbivores face due to human activities that destroy their habitat.
This mammal, with a mini-elephant trunk and strangely looking a lot like a pig, has nothing to do with it. It is a close relative of the horse and the rhino. Under the family genre Tapiridae, there are different kinds. The tapir is the only animal that is part of the family tapiridaewhich consists of five different species.
“Classic” tapirs
Four of them have been known to the scientific community for years. There are those that live in South America: Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) with short brown fur, ground tapir (A terrestrial tapir) which is distinguished from its peers by the presence of a thick brown mane. And mountain or Andean tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), the only one who has a woolen fleece to protect himself from the cold of the heights where he has taken up residence. The Malayan or black-backed tapir (Tapirus indicus) is the only species that lives on the Asian continent (Southeast Asia) and is characterized by its black and white coat.
The little black tapir
Although the indigenous population was already aware of the existence of this animal, it was not until 2013 that scientists were able to thoroughly study this little guy and recognize it as a species in its own right (Tapirus kabomani). It is present in some parts of Brazil, as well as Colombia and southern Guyana. And it is the smallest of all tapirs, with an average weight of 110 kg.
The biology of the tapir
Whatever the species, the tapir’s lifestyle, eating habits and mode of reproduction do not vary. It is a solitary and discreet animal with nocturnal habits, which begins to become active at dusk and takes advantage of the day to hide and rest.
Your diet
It is exclusively vegetarian and feeds on seeds, seedlings and fruits that it can easily collect with its prehensile proboscis. This diet and the droppings of the seeds it swallows allow the forests to recover, something that is very useful for nature.
Water points, essential for your well-being
Waterways serve several functions for tapirs and therefore they very rarely deviate from them. In addition to cooling, these strong animals submerge themselves to remove the parasites present in their skin. And even to escape from jaguar, its natural predator. Thanks to their trunk they can stay under water for a long time, because they use it as a ‘snorkel’.
Play slowly
Until they reach an age between 3 and 5 years, individuals cannot reproduce. And although there is no specific breeding season, the gestation period is quite long: 13 months. Females can give birth approximately every two years. All baby tapirs of different species have the same physical appearance. From birth to the sixth month they have a red-brown striped coat with white spots.
World Tapir Day 2024: In danger
Of the five species of tapir that exist, four are common IUCN Red List classified as endangered. Three are threatened with extinction:
- Tapir far away
- Andean tapir
- Tapir centroamericano
Although the Amazonian tapir is classified as vulnerable and the black tapir, although no data are known, it is believed that there are not many specimens.
The deforestation It is one of the biggest threats to these peaceful animals. But they also succumb to the pollution of the waters of the rivers on which they depend. They are also victims of poaching, because they are protected species, and of accidents, both when crossing roads and falling into traps not intended for them. .