Body Weight: Up to 660 lbs / 300kg Body Length: 6.5 – 6.7 ft / 198-202 cm Shoulder Height: Up to 4 ft / 120 cm Tail Length: 3-5” / 7-13 cm Pelage: Dark brown, white ear tips
DISTRIBUTION
AND STATUS
Distribution: Central America Habitat: Marshes, mangroves, swamps IUCN : Endangered CITES Status: Appendix I Wild Population: <5,500 ISIS Population: 47 ISIS
captive population
BEHAVIOR
AND ECOLOGY
Activity Cycle: Crepuscular Social Groups: Generally solitary Communication: whistle, hiccup Diet: Leaves, stems, fruits Predators: Man, jaguars, anacondas, crocodiles
REPRODUCTION
AND DEVELOPMENT
Sexual Maturity: ~2 years Gestation: 390-410 days LitterSize: 1 – 18 month interval Neonate Weight: 14-25 lbs (6-11 kgs) Age at Weaning: 4 months Longevity: > 30 years in zoos
SPECIES
HIGHLIGHTS
Feature Facts: Tapirs are known as “living fossils”. In the famous movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, a tapir is the first animal the proto-humans kill and eat. Society Press: A Baird’s tapir was the first tapir species exhibited by the San Diego Zoo. It was a gift from the Panamanian government in 1925.:
