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The World's Tapirs--The MountainTapir (Tapirus pinchaque)

The Mountain tapir is the largest mammal in the tropical Andes
Mountain Tapir
Habitat Range |
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| Map by Carlos Pedraza, TSG, 2008
(click to see larger) |
Range: Montane forests and Paramos
in Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru, between 2000 to 4000 meters
elevation.
Characteristics: The Mountain
tapir is the smallest of tapir species. Their color is brownish
to black with long hair and a white line around the lips. The adults
have two characteristic hair-free patches in the rump. They measure
1.8 meters long, 0.8 meters high, and weigh between 150 and 250
Kilos. The Mountain tapir is the smallest and most furry of the
tapirs. As with all tapir species, their young have a dappled, camouflage
coat.
Status: Listed as Endangered
by IUCN. It is included in CITES appendix I.
Threats: Mounatin tapirs are
threatened with extinction mainly through loss of habitat. In their
areas of occurance they are not common, and their densities are
low. They are also hunted in many areas. Additionally, their body
parts are sometimes used in traditional medicine (their feet are
used to treat epilepsy and heart disease).
Behavior: The mountain tapir
feeds on leaves, twigs and fruits of a large number of plant species
in Andean forests and paramos. The most preferred are plants of
the genus Lupinus, leaves of Gynoxys, Gunnera sp, Oreopanax, and
Chusquea sp. The tapirs are important seed dispersers and a key
component for the maintenance of the structure and composition of
montane forests in South America
They are solitary and their activity is mainly between the first
hours of dusk and first hours in sunrise. They are more active in
low temperatures than on warm days. Like other tapir species the
mountain tapir is comfortable in water and can swim. They also have
a very developed sense of smell and hearing. They are strong and
very well adapted to locomotion in forested hills and to the harsh
weather conditions of the high Andes.
Other names: Tapir de montaña, danta conga,
danta de páramo, danta lanuda.
More About Mountain Tapirs
Red Danta
EDGE
Mountain Tapir Profile
Wikipedia/Mountain_tapir
San Francisco Zoo
tapir video
Sources
Lizcano, D. J., A. Guarnizo, J. A. Suarez, F. K. Florez, and O.
Montenegro. 2006. Danta de paramo Tapirus pinchaque. in J. V. Rodriguez-Maecha,
M. Alberico, F. Trujillo, and J. Jorgenson, editors. Libro rojo
de los mamíferos de Colombia. Serie libros rojos de especies
amenazadas de Colombia.
Conservación Internacional, Colombia & Ministerio de
Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial, Bogota, Colombia.
Morales-Jiménez A.L., Sánchez F., K Poveda & A.
Cadena. 2004. Mamíferos terrestres y voladores de Colombia.
Guía de Campo. Bogotá, Colombia. 248 p.
Ministerio de Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial, Viceministerio
de Ambiente, Dirección de Ecosistemas. 2005. Programa Nacional
para la Conservación del Género Tapirus en Colombia.
Written with help from Diego Lizcano, TSG, and Juliana Rodriguez,
TSG
Illustration generously provided
by Stephen Nash, Conservation International
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