Diet

What does the Mountain Tapir eat?

Mountain tapirs are herbivores. Their diet includes a range of twigs, leaves and fruit. These are taken from a variety of different plants.

They play an important role in their ecosystem as a seed disperser.

To protect their skin from attacks by insects this species will wallow in mud.

Learn more about the Mountain Tapir in this video from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the Mountain Tapir?

South America is the native home of the mountain tapir. Here they can be found in Colombia and Ecuador. Their range may also extend to northern Peru.

Historical records exist of the species from Venezuela but the validity of these is unclear.

Habitat

Where can the Mountain Tapir survive?

This species is known from forest and grassland areas.

Credit: David Sifry, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Reproduction

How does the Mountain Tapir produce its young?

Breeding can take place year round. Males will fight one another for breeding rights with the females.

During mating the male and female will bite at one another's sides, feet and ears.

A single calf will be born at the conclusion of the 13 month gestation period. They are provided milk by their mother for the first six months of life.

The young of this species is often referred to as a watermelon due to the pattern of light stripes which sit on a dark background. This acts as camouflage and blends in with the dappled sunlight low to the ground where they live.

By a year old the coat of the mountain tapir calf has begun to transition to that of the adults.

Calves separate from their mother after a year.

Sexual maturity is reached by two years old.

Behavior

What does the Mountain Tapir do during its day?

Mountain tapirs are active during the night. This species will seek shelter within thickets during the day.

These animals are able swimmers and will use their short trunk like a snorkel to allow them to breathe while moving through the water.

The call of the mountain tapir is a birdsong-like whistle which is used to communicate with other species of tapir.

This species is typically solitary and typically only a mother and her young will be seen together. Rarely pairs have been seen to mate for life. If two meet they become aggressive and will bare their teeth at one another.

Credit: Jean from Shelbyville, KY, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Predators and Threats

What stops the Mountain Tapir from surviving and thriving?

Natural predators of the mountain tapir include spectacled bears and mountain lions.

As few as 2,500 of these animals are thought to remain in the wild and the population is continuing to decline.

This is primarily driven by habitat loss. Their range takes in a number of areas being targeted for increased poppy farming. Ranching also uses a significant area in their range.

Hunting was a major threat to this species for a number of years but increased awareness of the threats they face has helped to reduce this in recent years.

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Quick facts

They are also known as the Andean or the wooly tapir.

Their scientific name is taken from 'La Pinchaque,' an imaginary beast which is said to live in the same area as the tapirs.

The word tapir is taken from a Tupi Indian word, 'tapyra.'

Tapirs are believed to have been on Earth for 20 million years during which time they have changed very little.

This species was first classified for western science during 1829.

Credit: Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons