Malayan Tapir

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Description

The tapirs’ banded coloration offers unique camouflage making them look more like a rock when lying on the forest floor. Young tapirs have brown and white stripes which help them hide. Their nose and upper lip are combined into a flexible 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 and the only one native to Asia.

Range & Habitat

Malayan tapirs inhabit tropical forests in Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra.

Behavior

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

Diet

Exclusively vegetarian, tapirs forage for tender plant shoots and leaves. Tapirs are browsers that feed on more than 115 plant species.

Conservation

Malayan tapir numbers are decreasing due to deforestation, habitat loss, and increase in hunting.

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.