tapir (redirected from Tapirs)

tapir (tā`pər), nocturnal, herbivorous mammal, genus Tapirus, of the jungles of Central and South America and SE Asia. The tapir is somewhat piglike in appearance; however, it is not related to the pig, but to the horse and the rhinoceros, with which it forms the order of odd-toed hoofed mammals. The body of the tapir is rounded and covered with sparse fur. Its snout is long and flexible. The legs are short and end in broad feet with hoofed toes; there are four toes on the front feet and five on the hind feet. Tapirs live in dense forest, browsing by night on leaves and twigs. Usually found near water, they swim well and drink a great deal. They often take to water when threatened and can crash through thick underbrush with great speed. The Asian tapir, Tapirus indicus, of Malaya and Sumatra, is black with a white saddle extending over the rump. The adult is about 3 ft (90 cm) high at the shoulder and 6 to 8 ft (180–240 cm) long; it weighs about 400 lb (180 kg). There are three New World species. The South American tapir, T. terrestris, inhabits marshy lowlands from Colombia to N Argentina. The adult, similar in size to the Asian species, is a uniform dark brown, but the young is conspicuously striped and spotted. The Central American tapir, T. bairdi, is similarly colored but almost as large as a donkey. It is found in undisturbed rain forests from S Mexico to NW South America; because of the continuous elimination of this habitat the existence of this species is threatened. The mountain tapir, T. pinchaque, is found at high altitudes in the Andes Mts. and has thick, black fur. Tapirs were widely distributed in tropical regions until the Pleistocene epoch, when most species became extinct. They are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, family Tapiridae.

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tapir

Lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris)

(credit: Warren Garst—Tom Stack & Associates)

Any of four extant members (genus Tapirus) of the family Tapiridae, heavy-bodied, odd-toed ungulates, 6–8 ft (1.8–2.5 m) long and up to 3 ft (1 m) high. They have short ears and legs and a fleshy snout overhanging the upper lip. The feet have three functional toes. Body hair is usually short and sparse, but two species have a short, bristly mane. The Malayan tapir (T. indicus) has a black head, shoulders, and legs and white rump, back, and belly. The single Central and two South American species are plain brown or gray. Tapirs inhabit the deep forest or swamp.