Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus) lives in tropical rainforest across Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. It feeds on leaves and fruits. Its conservation status is Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Malayan Tapir
- Genetic clocks show the Malayan tapir split from its American cousins about 25 million years ago, making it the earliest-diverging tapir line. A comparison of mitochondrial DNA of 16 perissodactyl species revealed that the Malayan tapir forms a sister group to the Tapirus species native to the Americas. It was the first Tapirus species that genetically diverged from the group, and is estimated to have done so about 25 million years ago in the Late Oligocene.
- The Malayan tapir is stretching up to 2.5 m long, standing 1.1 m tall, and tipping the scales at 540 kg. It grows to between 1.8 and 2.5 m (5 ft 11 in and 8 ft 2 in) in length, not counting a stubby tail of only 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) in length, and stands 90 to 110 cm (2 ft 11 in to 3 ft 7 in) tall. It typically weighs between 250 and 320 kg (550 and 710 lb), although some adults can weigh up to 540 kg (1,190 lb).
- Fewer than 2,500 mature Malayan tapirs remain in the wild, a number that earned the species an Endangered listing on the IUCN Red List in 2008. It has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2008, as the population is estimated to comprise fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.
- Tapirs roam huge home ranges, up to 25 km² for a female and about 12.75 km² for a male, yet they are sparse, with only 0.30-0.44 individuals per km² in prime habitat. Home ranges have been recorded between 10 and 25 square kilometers. Females tend to have larger ranges than males; one study discussed a female that had a home range of 25 square kilometers while a male... only 12.75 square kilometers. Densities range from 0.30 to 0.44 individuals per square kilometer in high quality habitats. Understanding these space needs is vital for designing reserves that can support viable tapir populations.
- By munching on over 122 plant species and eating 4-5 % of their body weight each day, tapirs spread seeds for kilometers, helping forests regenerate. They feed on more than 122 species of plants... eat between 4 and 5 percent of their body weight each day. Fruit constitutes a large portion of the diet... they help disperse the seeds of the fruit they eat. Seed dispersal may be up to a number of kilometers, generating a complex and remote seed shadow. This seed-shuffling makes tapirs essential gardeners of Southeast Asian rainforests.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeMalay Peninsula and Sumatra
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietLeaves and fruits
About the Malayan Tapir
In the dappled shadows of the Malaysian rainforest, the Malayan Tapir moves with a quiet deliberation, its distinctive black and white coat blending seamlessly into the surroundings as it navigates the underbrush with a gentle, almost ethereal, gait. With its long, flexible snout twitching as it probes the forest floor for tender shoots and fruits, this elusive creature embodies the very essence of the tropical wilderness, its rarity and endangered status only adding to the sense of privilege that comes with catching a glimpse of it in its natural habitat. As it disappears into the trees, its strange, haunting call echoes through the forest, a poignant reminder of the beauty and fragility of this enigmatic species.
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