Tapir
Brazilian Tapir
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Perissodactyla Family: Tapiridae Gray, 1821 Genus: Tapirus Brünnich, 1772
Species
Tapirus bairdii Tapirus indicus Tapirus pinchaque Tapirus terrestris Image File history File linksMetadata Tapirus_terrestris. ... Binomial name Tapirus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Brazilian Tapir (anta in Portuguese), also known as the Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is one of four species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, and the Bairds Tapir. ... 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. ... John Edward Gray. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Tapirus bairdii (Gill, 1865) Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is one of the three species of tapir found in Latin America. ... 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. ... Binomial name Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin, 1829) The Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild. ... Binomial name Tapirus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Brazilian Tapir (anta in Portuguese), also known as the Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is one of four species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, and the Bairds Tapir. ...

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. They inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. All four species of tapir are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, horses and rhinoceroses. Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Browsing redirects here Browser can refer to: Browser - a type of herbivore whose nutrition generally comes from high growing plants, like trees, rather than a grazer that eats from the ground. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Prehensility is the quality of an organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... For other uses, see Central America (disambiguation). ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. ... Families Equidae Tapiridae Rhinocerotidae Brontotheriidae (extinct) Chalicotheriidae (extinct) Hyracodontidae (extinct) Palaeotheriidae (extinct) Amynodontidae (extinct) The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals that comprise the order Perissodactyla. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... Black Rhino from Howletts Wild Animal Park For other uses, see Rhinoceros (disambiguation). ...

Species

There are four tapir species:

• Baird's Tapir, Tapirus bairdii
• Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus
• Mountain Tapir, Tapirus pinchaque
• Brazilian Tapir (also called Lowland Tapir), Tapirus terrestris

Binomial name Tapirus bairdii (Gill, 1865) Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is one of the three species of tapir found in Latin America. ... 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. ... Binomial name Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin, 1829) The Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild. ... Binomial name Tapirus terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Brazilian Tapir (anta in Portuguese), also known as the Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is one of four species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, and the Bairds Tapir. ...

Hybrids

Hybrid tapirs from the Baird's Tapir and the Brazilian Tapir were bred at the San Francisco Zoo around 1969 and produced a second generation around 1970.^[1] // This article is about a biological term. ... The San Francisco Zoo, (previously Fleishhacker Zoo) is a zoo in San Francisco, California housing more than 250 different animal species. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A Baird's Tapir in Belize

Image File history File linksMetadata Central_American_Tapir-Belize20. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Central_American_Tapir-Belize20. ... Binomial name Tapirus bairdii (Gill, 1865) Baird’s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii) is one of the three species of tapir found in Latin America. ...

General Appearance

Size varies between species, but most tapirs are about 2 meters (7 ft) long, stand about a meter (3 ft) high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg (330 to 700 lb). Coats are short and range in color from reddish-brown to grey to nearly black, with the notable exceptions of the Malayan Tapir, which has a white saddle-shaped marking on its back, and the Mountain Tapir, which has longer, wooly fur. All tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded, protruding rear ends with stubby tails, and splayed, hoofed toes, with four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them walk on muddy and soft ground. Baby tapirs of all types have striped-and-spotted coats for camouflage. Females have a single pair of mammary glands.^[2] 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. ... Binomial name Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin, 1829) The Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild. ... Countershaded Ibex are almost invisible in the Israeli desert. ...

Physiology

Flehmen response

The proboscis of the tapir is a highly flexible structure, able to move in all directions, allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. Tapirs often exhibit the flehmen response, a posture in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth, in order to detect scents. This response is frequently exhibited by bulls sniffing for signs of other males or females in oestrus in the area. Proboscis length varies among species; Malayan Tapirs have the longest snouts and Brazilian Tapirs have the shortest.^[3] The evolution of tapir probosces, made up almost entirely of soft tissues rather than bony internal structures, gives the Tapiridae skull a unique form in comparison to other perissodactyls, with a larger sagittal crest, orbits positioned more rostrally, a posteriorly telescoped cranium, and a more elongated and retracted nasoincisive incisure.^{[4] [5]} Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 415 pixel Image in higher resolution (1603 × 831 pixel, file size: 253 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tapir Flehmen response... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 415 pixel Image in higher resolution (1603 × 831 pixel, file size: 253 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tapir Flehmen response... A mare exhibits the flehmen response by curling back her upper lip The flehmen response, also called the flehmen position, flehmen reaction, flehming, or flehmening (from German flehmen (of animals) meaning to curl the upper lip), is a particular type of curling of the upper lip in ungulates, felids, and... In general, a proboscis (from Greek pro before and boskein to feed) is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal. ... A mare exhibits the flehmen response by curling back her upper lip The flehmen response, also called the flehmen position, flehmen reaction, flehming, or flehmening (from German flehmen (of animals) meaning to curl the upper lip), is a particular type of curling of the upper lip in ungulates, felids, and... Estrus (also spelled œstrus) or heat in female mammals is the period of greatest female sexual responsiveness usually coinciding with ovulation. ... Families Equidae Tapiridae Rhinocerotidae Brontotheriidae (extinct) Chalicotheriidae (extinct) Hyracodontidae (extinct) Palaeotheriidae (extinct) Amynodontidae (extinct) The odd-toed ungulates are browsing and grazing mammals that comprise the order Perissodactyla. ... Canine skull showing sagittal crest A sagittal crest is a ridge of bone running lengthwise along the midline of the top of the skull (at the sagittal suture) of many mammalian and reptilian skulls, among others. ... Cranium can mean: The brain and surrounding skull, a part of the body. ...

Sketch of the skull of a tapir, compared with a Malayan tapir shown in profile

Tapirs have brachyodont, or low-crowned, teeth that lack cement. Their dental formula is I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/3-4, M 3/3, totaling 42 to 44 teeth; this dentition is closer to that of equids, who may differ by one less canine, than their other perissodactyl relatives, rhinoceroses.^{[6] [7]} Their incisors are chisel-shaped, with the third large, conical upper incisor separated by a short gap from the considerably smaller canine. A much longer gap is found between the canines and premolars, the first of which may be absent.^[8] Tapirs are lophodonts, and their cheek teeth have distinct lophs (ridges) between protocones, paracones, metacones and hypocones.^{[9] [10]} Image File history File links Tapirus_terrestris_skull. ... Image File history File links Tapirus_terrestris_skull. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (905x665, 282 KB) Adult male Malayan Tapir at the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA. Photo by Sasha Kopf File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tapir Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (905x665, 282 KB) Adult male Malayan Tapir at the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA. Photo by Sasha Kopf File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tapir Metadata... Dentition is the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. ... Dentition is the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. ...

Tapirs have brown eyes, often with a bluish cast to them which has been identified as corneal cloudiness, a condition most commonly found in Malayan Tapirs. The exact etiology is unknown, but the cloudiness may be caused by excessive exposure to light or by trauma.^{[11] [12]} However, the tapir's sensitive ears and strong sense of smell help to compensate for deficiencies in vision. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, providing most of an eyes optical power [1]. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light and, as a result, helps the eye to focus. ...

Natural history

The tapir family is old by mammalian standards. The earliest fossil tapir dates to the early Oligocene, and Eocene rocks from as early as 55 million years ago contain a wide range of tapir-like animals, and they have changed little since.[1] These ungulates could be found world-wide. Perissodactyls, including tapiroids, became the predominant large terrestrial browsers through the Oligocene, and many members of the group survived until the late Pleistocene. It is believed that Asian and American tapirs diverged around 20 to 30 million years ago, and that tapir varieties moved from North America to Central and South America around 3 million years ago.^[13] 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... The Oligocene epoch is a geologic period of time that extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present. ... hfajhfiudshfas == == == --24. ... “Rock” redirects here. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ...

Lifecycle

Young tapirs reach sexual maturity between three and five years of age, with females maturing earlier and coming into oestrus every two or three months .^{[14] [15]} Under good conditions, a healthy female tapir can reproduce every two years; a single youngster is born after a gestation of about 13 months. The natural lifespan of a tapir is approximately 25 to 30 years, both in the wild and in zoos. Little is known for sure about tapirs’ mating patterns in the wild: there is some evidence that mature tapirs mate with the same partner for life, but pairs spend little or no time together aside from sexual activity.^[16] Apart from mothers and their young offspring, tapirs lead almost exclusively solitary lives.

The undersides of the front (left, with four toes) and back (right, with three toes) feet of a Malayan tapir at rest

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1040x530, 283 KB) Undersides of the front (left) and back (right) hooves of a Malayan tapir at rest. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1040x530, 283 KB) Undersides of the front (left) and back (right) hooves of a Malayan tapir at rest. ...

Behavior

Although they frequently live in dryland forests, tapirs with access to rivers spend a good deal of time in and under the water, feeding on soft vegetation, taking refuge from predators, and cooling off during hot periods. Tapirs near a water source will swim, sink to the bottom and walk along the riverbed to feed, and have been known to submerge themselves under water to allow small fish to pick parasites off their bulky bodies.^[17] Along with fresh water lounging, tapirs often wallow in mud pits, which also helps to keep them cool and free of insects. This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ...

In the wild, the tapir’s diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves, particularly young, tender growth. Tapirs will spend many of their waking hours foraging along well-worn trails, snouts to the ground in search of food. Baird’s Tapirs have been observed to eat around 40 kilograms (85 pounds) of vegetation in one day.^[18] For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Several types of berries from the market. ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Tapirs are largely nocturnal and crepuscular, although the smaller Mountain Tapir of the Andes is generally more active during the day than its congeners. They have monocular vision. 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. ... This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... A diurnal animal (dī-ŭrnəl) is an animal that is active during the daytime and sleeps during the night. ... 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. ...

An adult Malayan Tapir at the San Diego Zoo

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1500x1000, 192 KB) Tapir at the San Diego Zoo, taken and uploaded by Sepht. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1500x1000, 192 KB) Tapir at the San Diego Zoo, taken and uploaded by Sepht. ...

Habitat, Predation, and Vulnerability

Adult tapirs are large enough that they have few natural predators, and the thick skin on the backs of their necks helps to protect them from threats such as jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas, and tigers. The creatures are also able to run fairly quickly, considering their size and cumbersome appearance, finding shelter in the thick undergrowth of the forest or in water. Hunting for meat and hides has substantially reduced their numbers and, more recently, massive habitat loss has resulted in the conservation watch-listing of all four species: both the Brazilian Tapir and the Malayan Tapir are classified as vulnerable; and the Baird’s Tapir and the Mountain Tapir are endangered. Tapirs tend to prefer old growth forests and the food sources that can be found in them, making the preservation of primary woodlands a top priority for tapir conservationists. For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... For other uses, see Anaconda (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tiger (disambiguation). ... Old growth forest, also called primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest or ancient woodland (in the UK), is an area of forest that has attained great age and exhibits unique biological features. ...

Genetics

A baby Brazilian Tapir with spots and stripes characteristic of all juvenile tapirs

The four species of tapir have the following chromosomal numbers:

Image File history File links Tapirbaby. ... Image File history File links Tapirbaby. ... Figure 1: A representation of a condensed eukaryotic chromosome, as seen during cell division. ...

The Malayan tapir, the species most isolated geographically from the rest of the genus, has a significantly smaller number of chromosomes and has been found to share fewer homologies with the three types of American tapirs. A number of conserved autosomes (13 between karyotypes of the Baird’s Tapir and Brazilian Tapir, and 15 between the Baird’s and Mountain Tapir) have also been found in the American species that are not found in the Asian animal. However, geographic proximity is not an absolute predictor of genetic similarity; for instance, G-banded preparations have revealed that Malayan, Baird’s and Brazilian Tapirs have identical X chromosomes, while Mountain Tapirs are separated by a heterochromatic addition/deletion.^[19] In biology, homology is any similarity between structures that is due to their shared ancestry. ... An autosome is a non-sex chromosome. ... A complex of stains specific for the phosphate groups of DNA. Used in Giemsa banding (or G-banding) to stain chromosomes and often used to create a karyotype. ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ...

Lack of genetic diversity in tapir populations has become a major source of concern for conservationists. Habitat loss has isolated already small populations of wild tapirs, putting each group in greater danger of dying out completely. Even in zoos, genetic diversity is limited; all captive mountain tapirs, for example, are descended from only two founder individuals.^[20]

An adult Malayan Tapir sitting

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (825x611, 353 KB) Photo by Sasha Kopf of female Malayan tapir at the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tapir Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (825x611, 353 KB) Photo by Sasha Kopf of female Malayan tapir at the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington, USA File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tapir Metadata...

Attacks on humans

Tapirs are generally shy, but when they are scared they can defend themselves with their very powerful jaws. In 1998, a zookeeper in Oklahoma City was mauled and had an arm severed by a tapir bite, after she attempted to feed the attacking tapir's young.^[21] In 2006, a 46-year-old man (who was the Environmental Minister at the time) who was lost in the Corcovado National Park at Costa Rica was found by a search party with a "nasty bite" from a wild tapir.^[22] However, such examples are rare; for the most part, tapirs are likely to avoid confrontation in favor of running from predators, hiding, or, if possible, submerging themselves in nearby water until a threat is gone.^[23] Corcovado National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Corcovado) is a National Park on the Osa Peninsula in the South West of Costa Rica (9° North, 83° West), which is part of the Osa Conservation Area. ...

Cultural references

In Chinese, Korean and Japanese, the tapir is named after a beast from Chinese mythology. A feature of this mythical creature is a snout like that of an elephant. In Japanese cartooning (manga and anime) tapirs can eat people's dreams. In Chinese, the name of this beast, subsequently the name of the tapir, is mò in Mandarin and mek in Cantonese (貘). The Korean equivalent is maek (Hangul: 맥, Hanja: 貊), while it is called baku (バク) in Japanese. The Chinese file hosting service Mofile has been referred to as the tapir by Chinese-speaking users. Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written form. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... For other uses, see Dream (disambiguation). ... This article is on all of the Northern and Southwestern Chinese dialects. ... This article is about all of the Cantonese (Yue) dialects. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... A baku by Katsushika Hokusai. ... A file hosting service, online file storage service, or online media center is an Internet hosting service specifically designed to host static content, typically large files that are not web pages. ...

An adult Baird's tapir at the San Francisco Zoo

Brazilian tapirs inaccurately appear in the opening section of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, set in an African desert during the Pleistocene era. Image File history File linksMetadata Bairds_Tapir_lying_down. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Bairds_Tapir_lying_down. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... The Pleistocene epoch (IPA: ) on the geologic timescale is the period from 1,808,000 to 11,550 years BP. The Pleistocene epoch had been intended to cover the worlds recent period of repeated glaciations. ...

More recently, the opening scene of another feature film, Apocalypto, involved a tapir hunt. Apocalypto is an Academy Award nominated 2006 epic film directed by Mel Gibson. ...

In the video game and anime series Pokémon, the Pokémon Drowzee resembles a tapir and is said to eat dreams. “Animé” redirects here. ... The official Pokémon logo. ... Drowzee , Sleepe in original Japanese language versions) is one of 493 fictional species from the Pokémon franchise. ...

In the video game and anime series Digimon, the Digimon Tapirmon is modeled after a tapir. Digimon , short for デジタルモンスター dejitaru monsutā, Digital Monster) is a popular Japanese series of media and merchandise, including anime, manga, toys, video games, trading card games and other media. ... From the Digimon series, Bakumon is a St. ...

Notes

1. ^ Pictures of T. bairdii x T. terrestris cross taken by Sheryl Todd, The Tapir Gallery, web site of the Tapir Preservation Fund
2. ^ Gorog, A. 2001. Tapirus terrestris, Animal Diversity Web. Accessed June 19, 2006
3. ^ Witmer, Lawrence, Scott D. Sampson, and Nikos Solounias. “The proboscis of tapirs (Mammalia: Perissodactyla): a case study in novel narial anatomy”. Journal of Zoology, 1999, The Zoological Society of London; page 251
4. ^ Witmer, page 249
5. ^ Colbert, Dr. Matthew, 2002, "Tapirus terrestris" (On-line), Digital Morphology. Accessed June 20, 2006
6. ^ Ballenger, L. and P. Myers. 2001. "Tapiridae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed June 20, 2006
7. ^ Huffman, Brent. Order Perissodactyla at Ultimate Ungulate
8. ^ "PERISSODACTYLA." LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia
9. ^ Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Diversity of Cheek Teeth. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed June 20, 2006
10. ^ Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Basic Structure of Cheek Teeth. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed June 20, 2006
11. ^ Tapirs Described, the Tapir Gallery
12. ^ Janssen, Donald L., DVM, Dipl ACZM, Bruce A. Rideout, DVM, PhD, Dipl ACVP, Mark E. Edwards, PhD. "Medical Management of Captive Tapirs (Tapirus sp.)." 1996 American Association of Zoo Veterinarians Proceedings. Nov 1996. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Pp. 1-11
13. ^ Ashley, M.V., Norman, J.E. and Stross, L.: "Phylogenetic analysis of the perissodactylan family tapiridae using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COII) sequences." Mammal Evolution. 3:315-326, 1996.
14. ^ Woodland Park Zoo Animal Fact Sheet: Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus)
15. ^ "Wildfacts" sheet on the Brazilian Tapir (Tapirus terrestris),'' BBC Science and Nature
16. ^ Morris, Dale. “Face to face with big nose.” BBC Wildlife, March 2005, page 37.
17. ^ Morris, page 36.
18. ^ TPF News, Tapir Preservation Fund, Vol. 4, No. 7, July 2001. See section on study by Charles Foerster.
19. ^ Houck, M.L., S.C. Kingswood, A.T. Kumamoto. “Comparative cytogenetics of tapirs, genus Tapirus (Perissodactyla, Tapiridae). Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics 2000; 89: 110-115 (DOI: 10.1159/000015587)
20. ^ Mountain Tapir Conservation at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
21. ^ "Woman's arm bitten off in zoo attack", Associated Press report by Jay Hughes, 20 Nov 1998
22. ^ "Lost Costa Rica minister found with tapir bite", Reuters, 23 Apr 2006 01:11:51 GMT
23. ^ Goudot, Justin. "Nouvelles observations sur le Tapir Pinchaque (Recent Observations on the Tapir Pinchaque)," Comptes Rendus, Paris 1843, vol. xvi, pages 331-334. Available online with English translation by Tracy Metz. Report contains accounts of wild Mountain Tapirs shying away from human contact at salt deposits after being hunted, and hiding.

External links

• IUCN/SSC Tapir Specialist Group
• The Tapir Gallery at The Tapir Preservation Fund website
• Andes-Amazon Botany Program Tapir Project
• In the Name of the Tapir: Confusions and Conclusions a paper by Stefan Seitz about misidentification of tapirs by zoo visitors, including a zoological description of tapirs in rhyme