Lowland Tapir

• It is the largest native land mammal of the Amazon rainforest.
• The watermelon-like pattern of spots and stripes it is born with fades by its first birthday.
• It plays a key role in dispersing the seeds of many plant species.
• taxonomíaAlthough it looks like a pig with a trunk, it is far more closely related to rhinoceroses and horses than to pigs or hippos.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat & environment

Rainforest, swamps, savanna and wetlands across much of South America, always close to water

Birth weight

3.2-5.8 kg at birth, with striking white stripes and spots for camouflage

Size at birth

3.2-5.8 kg at birth

Sexual maturity

2-3 years

Gestation / incubation

335-439 days (average ~380 days, ~13 months)

Litter / clutch size

1 calf per birth (twins very rare), with 2 years between births

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 35-39.6 years

Sources consulted: Creatures.com; All Species Wiki; Zoo Berlin; Zoo Santo Inácio; Animal Diversity Web; Marwell Zoo; Peak Wildlife Park; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); PMC (Theileria terrestris study)