Malayan Tapir

Description

Malayan tapirs have black hair covering their head and legs with grayish white hair on their back and rump. This unique coloration helps them camouflage, making them look more like a rock when lying on the forest floor. Young tapirs have brown and white stripes in a pattern similar to a watermelon which helps them camouflage into the brush in their forested habitat. Their nose and upper lip are combined into a prehensile (grasping) snout that is similar to an elephant’s trunk, but they are most closely related to horses.

Malayan tapirs are the largest of the four species of tapir, measuring up to 8.5 feet long and weighing up to 710 pounds.

Range & Habitat

Malayan tapirs are the only tapir species found in Asia. They inhabit tropical forests in Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra.

At the Virginia Zoo, Malayan tapirs can be found on Asia: Trail of the Tiger.

Behavior

Tapirs prefer to live near water and often bathe and swim. They typically move slowly through the forest but when frightened, they can run quickly and defend themselves with their powerful jaws and teeth.

Diet

Malayan tapirs are herbivores that forage for tender plant shoots and leaves. They feed on more than 380 different species of vegetation in their native habitat.

Conservation

Malayan tapirs are considered endangered, and their populations are continuing to decrease. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are only an estimated 2,499 mature individuals left in the wild. This species is threatened by habitat loss, especially for palm oil plantations, and poaching for their meat.

Fun Facts

Malayan tapirs are solitary animals that are usually nocturnal.
Tapirs have 4 toes on their front feet, but only 3 on their back feet, classifying them as odd-toed ungulates.