Malayan Tapir(Tapirus indicus)

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The Malayan Tapir(Tapirus indicus),  also called Asian Tapir, Asiatic Tapir, Indian Tapir, and Malay Tapir  is the only species of tapir that lives in Asia.  The Malayan Tapir is the largest of the five species of tapir.

Malayan Tapir Scientific Classification:

KingdomAnimalia 
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderPerissodactyla
FamilyTapiridae
GenusTapirus
SpeciesT. indicus
Binomial Name
Tapirus indicus

Physical Characteristics

The Malayan Tapir, just like all tapirs, has an elongated upper lip and nose that forms a prehensile snout that is used for plucking leaves and shoots from trees as well as sniffing their way along forest trails. They have an excellent sense of smell and rely on scents for communication. Malayan Tapirs spray urine to mark pathways between feeding areas and water sources.

Malayan Tapir Measurements:

Length: 1.8-2.5 meters(5 ‘11” to 8’2”) 

Shoulder Height: 90 centimeters to 1.1 meters(2’11”  to 3 ‘11”)

Tail Length: 5-10 centimeters(2-4 inches)

Weight: 250-540 kilograms(551-1,191 pounds)

*Females are usually larger than males.

Habitat and Distribution

The Malayan Tapir inhabits  forests, grasslands, and wetlands  in the countries of  Malaysia, Myanmar, Sumatra, and Thailand. 

Breeding

After a gestation period of 13 months the mother will give birth to typically 1 calf, which weighs about 6.8 kilograms(15 pounds). Weaning occurs at six to eight months but the calf will stay close to its mother until it is about a year old. Females can give birth every two years. As with all tapirs, the Malayan Tapir reaches sexual maturity at 3 years old. Malayan Tapirs are solitary animals except for mating pairs and females with calves. When they encounter one another in the wild they behave aggressively.

Diet 

Malayan Tapirs eat an exclusively herbivorous diet which includes aquatic plants, buds, fruits, leaves, saplings, shoots .and twigs. 

Fun Facts

  1. The Malayan Tapir has been depicted on Asian postage stamps.
  2. Like all tapirs, the Malayan Tapir sometimes uses its snout as a snorkel.
  3. The Malayan Tapir can live up to 30 years.
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