VulnerableLowland Tapir
Tapirus terrestris
One of the 4 tapirs on WAnimals
Mammals · Perissodactyla · Tapiridae
Tapirus pinchaque
At very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
The mountain tapir is the only tapir that lives outside the tropical rainforests and the smallest of the four that exist. It is covered in a thick, woolly coat adapted to the cold of the high mountains, with white-edged lips. It browses leaves, shoots and fruit in the páramo and the cloud forest, and its role as a disperser of large seeds is hard to replace. Agricultural expansion, the burning of páramo and hunting have reduced it to fragmented populations.
Weight
136 kg – 250 kg
Size
1.8 m – 2.5 m
Life expectancy
27 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Crepuscular
Active mainly at dawn and dusk.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Estimated population
Fewer than 2,500 mature individuals
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Tapirus pinchaque
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 12.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Mountain Tapir — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The mountain tapir is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about mountain tapir.
