Malayan Tapir
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Tapiridae Genus: Tapirus Species: T. indicus
Binomial name
Tapirus indicus (Desmarest, 1819)

The Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus), also called the Asian Tapir, is the largest of the four species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The scientific name refers to the East Indies, the species' natural habitat. In the Malay language, the tapir is commonly referred to as "cipan" or "tenuk."^[1] ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1990x1553, 176 KB) A Malayan Tapir in London Zoo. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Families Equidae Tapiridae Rhinocerotidae The odd-toed ungulates or Perissodactyla are large to very large browsing and grazing mammals with relatively simple stomachs and a large middle toe. ... Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Tapirs (IPA:ˈteɪpər, pronounced as in taper, or IPA:təˈpɪər, pronounced as in tap-ear) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. ... Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Tapirs (IPA:ˈteɪpər, pronounced as in taper, or IPA:təˈpɪər, pronounced as in tap-ear) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest (1784 - June 4, 1838) was a French zoologist and author. ... Species Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Tapirs (IPA:ˈteɪpər, pronounced as in taper, or IPA:təˈpɪər, pronounced as in tap-ear) are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... The Indies, on the display globe of the Field Museum, Chicago The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term used to describe lands of South and South-East Asia, occupying all of the former British India, the present Indian Union, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and... Not to be confused with the Malayalam language, spoken in India. ...

General appearance and characteristics

The animal is easily identified by its markings, most notably the light-colored “saddle” which extends from its shoulders to its rump. The rest of its hair is black, except for the tips of its ears which, as with other tapirs, are rimmed with white. This pattern is for camouflage: the disrupted coloration makes it more difficult to recognize it as a tapir, and other animals may mistake it for a large rock rather than a form of prey when it is lying down to sleep.^[2] This article is about protective camouflage used to disguise people, animals, or military targets. ... Prey can refer to: Look up Prey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A prey animal eaten by a predator in an act called predation. ...

Skeleton

Malayan Tapirs grow to between 6 and 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) in length, stand 3 to 3.5 feet (90 to 107 cm) tall, and typically weigh between 550 and 700 pounds (250 to 320 kg), although they can weigh upwards of 900 pounds (410 kg) on occasion. The females are usually larger than the males. Like the other types of tapir, they have small stubby tails and long, flexible proboscises. They have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot. The Malayan Tapir has rather poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 404 pixelsFull resolution‎ (985 × 498 pixels, file size: 212 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 404 pixelsFull resolution‎ (985 × 498 pixels, file size: 212 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... In general, a proboscis (from Greek pro before and boskein to feed) is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal. ...

Lifecycle

A juvenile tapir, still with dappled markings, asleep behind its parent

The gestation period of the Malayan Tapir is approximately 400 days, after which a single offspring, weighing around 15 pounds (6.8 kg), is born. Malayan Tapirs are the largest of the four tapir species at birth and grow more quickly than their congeners.^[3] Young tapirs of all species have brown hair with white stripes and spots, a pattern which enables them to hide effectively in the dappled light of the forest. This baby coat fades into adult coloration between four and seven months after birth. Weaning occurs between six and eight months of age, at which time the babies are nearly full-grown, and the animals reach sexual maturity around age three. Breeding typically occurs in April, May or June, and females generally produce one calf every two years. Malayan Tapirs can live up to 30 years, both in the wild and in captivity. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,584 × 1,188 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,584 × 1,188 pixels, file size: 1. ... Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ... A congener (from Latin roots meaning born together or within the same race or kind) has several different meanings depending on the field in which it is used. ... A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the practice of a woman feeding an infant (or sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. ... Sexual maturity is the age/stage when an organism can reproduce. ... For other uses, see Reproduction (disambiguation) Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. ...

Behavior

A female tapir with proboscis outstretched, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle

Malayan Tapirs are primarily solitary creatures, marking out large tracts of land as their territory, though these areas usually overlap with those of other individuals. Tapirs mark out their territories by spraying urine on plants, and they often follow distinct paths which they have bulldozed through the undergrowth. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... In ethology, sociobiology and behavioral ecology, the term territory refers to any geographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics (and, occasionally, animals of other species). ... This article is about the urine of animals generally. ...

Exclusively vegetarian, the animal forages for the tender shoots and leaves of more than 115 species of plants (around 30 are particularly preferred), moving slowly through the forest and pausing often to eat and note the scents left behind by other tapirs in the area.^[4] However, when threatened or frightened, the tapir can run quickly, despite its considerable bulk, and they can also defend themselves with their strong jaws and sharp teeth. Malayan Tapirs communicate with high-pitched squeaks and whistles. They usually prefer to live near water and often bathe and swim, and they are also able to climb steep slopes. Tapirs are mainly active at night, though they are not exclusively nocturnal. They tend to eat soon after sunset or before sunrise, and they will often nap in the middle of the night. This type of behavior characterizes them as crepuscular animals. For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... Adult Firefly or Lightning Bug – a Crepuscular Beetle Photuris lucicrescens Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active during the twilight. ...

Habitat, predation, and vulnerability

Map of Malayan tapir distribution in the wild, data circa 2003

The Malayan Tapir was once found throughout the tropical lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam. However, its numbers have decreased in recent years, and today, like all tapirs, it is in danger of extinction.^[5] Because of their size, tapirs have few natural predators, and even reports of killings by tigers are scarce.^[6] The main threat to the Malayan tapirs is human activity, including deforestation for agricultural purposes, flooding caused by the damming of rivers for hydroelectric projects, and illegal trade.^[7] In Thailand, for instance, capture and sale of a young tapir may be worth US$5500.00. ^[8] In areas such as Sumatra, where the population is predominantly Muslim, tapirs are seldom hunted for food, as their physical similarity to pigs has made tapir meat a taboo, but in some regions they are hunted for sport or shot accidentally when mistaken for other animals.^[9] Protected status in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, which seeks to curb deliberate killing of tapirs but does not address the issue of habitat loss, has had limited effect in reviving or maintaining the population. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 422 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (522 × 741 pixels, file size: 130 KB, MIME type: image/png) Current and historic range of the Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) as of 2003. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 422 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (522 × 741 pixels, file size: 130 KB, MIME type: image/png) Current and historic range of the Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) as of 2003. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... For other uses, see Extinction (disambiguation). ... This article is about the process of deforestation in the environment. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ...

Brevetianus variation

A small number of melanistic (all-black) Malayan tapirs have been observed. In 1924, an all-black tapir was sent to Rotterdam Zoo and was classified as a subspecies called Tapirus indicus var. brevetianus after its discoverer Captain K. Brevet.^[10] In 2000, two melanistic tapirs were observed during a study of tigers in the Jerangau Forest Reserve in Malaysia ^[11]. The cause of this variation may be a genetic abnormality similar to that of black panthers that appear in populations of spotted jaguars. However, unless and until more brevetianus individuals can be studied, the precise explanation for the trait will remain unknown. The Black Panther is the prototypical example of melanism. ... Nickname: Motto: Sterker door strijd (Stronger through Struggle) Location of Rotterdam Coordinates: , Country Province Government  - Mayor Ivo Opstelten  - Aldermen Jeannette Baljeu Hamit Karakus Orhan Kaya Lucas Bolsius Jantine Kriens Dominic Schrijer Roelf de Boer Leonard Geluk Area [1]  - Total 319 km² (123. ... A melanistic leopard, or black panther The black panther is the common name for a black specimen (a melanistic variant) of any of several species of cats. ...

Notes

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Tapirus indicus

• ARKive - images and movies of the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus)
• Tapir Specialist Group - Malayan Tapir

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Media