Lowland tapir, South American tapir, Anta, Amazonian tapir, Maned tapir
Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is a species of rhinoceros family with a characteristic fleshy trunk, which is prehensile and able to grasp objects such as leaves. It is the largest surviving native terrestrial mammal in the Amazon. Brazilian tapir was recognized as a separate species in 1758 by Western scientists. Otherwise known as Lowland or South American, this animal is found only in South American forests. This species currently has the largest area of distribution among all tapirs and is the least threatened species of its genus, which is made up of odd-toed ungulates.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withBrazilian tapirs are dark brown, paler in the face, and have a low, erect crest running from the crown down the back of the neck. The round, dark ears have distinctive white edges. Newborn tapirs have a dark brown coat, with small white spots and stripes along the body.
The natural range of this species covers most of continental South America, stretching east of the Andes. Brazilian tapir geographically occurs from northern Colombia to southern Brazil to northern Argentina and Paraguay as well as in Venezuela, the Guyanas, eastern Peru, and northern and eastern parts of Bolivia. These animals prefer to live in moist, lowland rainforests with a constant source of water. However, they have been seen in a wide variety of habitats including savannah, dry and moist shrublands, grasslands, and wetlands. Additionally, in certain areas, Brazilian tapirs travel to higher elevations during the rainy season.
Brazilian tapirs generally lead a solitary lifestyle, except for the mating season, when they live in pairs as well as mothers and their young, who often travel together. They are mostly nocturnal, spending their daytime hours in shelters, located in the forest. During the night, they leave these shelters to find food. Despite poor eyesight, these animals perceive their environment through a highly-developed olfactory perception. Brazilian tapirs are generally shy and peaceful animals. However, they are known to display considerably aggressive behavior when defending their mating rights and home ranges. Communication between conspecifics generally occurs through vocalizations. Brazilian tapirs emit several noises, one of which is the shrieking noise, displaying threat, distress, or pain. During the reproductive season, they can often be heard producing clicking sounds, through which they identify themselves to each other. Aggressive attitude is expressed by nasal snorting sound, whereas the puffing sound displays irritation.
Brazilian tapirs are herbivores (folivores and frugivores). Their diet is generally composed of plant material such as fruits, leaves, buds, and shoots. They particularly favor mombin fruits, resembling large plums. They also enjoy large huito fruits, similar to berries as well as fruits of the moriche palm.
There is no information on the reproductive system of this species. However, they may be polygynous, since males are known to defend their mating rights, which they do by biting each other on the feet. Breeding occurs throughout the year. The gestation period lasts for 335-439 days and females produce a single baby, weighing about 15 pounds (6.8 kg). During the first 6-10 months of its life, the young tapir is nursed by its mother. Independence is reached at 1.5 years old. Females are ready to produce offspring of their own within 2-3 years at birth. There has been known a case of 28 years old captive female, yielding offspring. This is the oldest recorded female of this species to give birth.
The biggest threats to the population of this vulnerable species are excessive hunting, harsh competition with livestock as well and deforestation, leading to the loss of their natural habitat. Brazilian tapirs are officially protected by the government. Within their range, there are several protected areas, where these animals live. Nevertheless, they are still exposed to hunting.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Brazilian tapir total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Due to their fruit-based diet, Brazilian tapirs serve as important seed dispersers of numerous fruit-bearing plants they consume.
