malayan tapir
Like all tapirs the Malayan Tapir is more closely related to the horse and the rhinoceros then anything else. They have very bad eyesight but their hearing & smell makes up for that. Their lifespan is 30 years. Malayan Tapirs are nocturnal creatures. But usually they will be awake in the day. Malayan Tapirs have territories which overlap other Tapir territories. They communicate by a series of deafening whistles. When moving they walk slowly with their head down. They are very good swimmers and can climb up steep slopes when it is raining!
Generally speaking, Malayan Tapir are quite shy animals and being solitary, and have few encounters with each other. During encounters they can snort as an aggressive display. Other communications include shrill squeals in response to fear or pain and low frequency squeals are used to keep other tapirs in general communication with each other.
Generally speaking, Malayan Tapir are quite shy animals and being solitary, and have few encounters with each other. During encounters they can snort as an aggressive display. Other communications include shrill squeals in response to fear or pain and low frequency squeals are used to keep other tapirs in general communication with each other.
discription
The Malayan Tapir, like other tapirs, is fully grown when it is eight months old! They grow to 1m tall and up to 2m long. Females are often larger than males. They usually weight up to 350kg. This is why the Malayan Tapir is the largest of all the tapirs. There are four species of Tapir. Malayan Tapir markings are unlike other Tapirs and other animals.They have a black head, legs, shoulders and bottom are white. Above their bottom, tip of there ears, their stomach are black. They have this pattern for camouflage. With these patterns predators think they are a rock. Isn't that cool! They have four toes on the front foot and three on the back foot. Their eyes are black and are in the shape of a oval. They also have long trunk-like noses. Tapirs noses are very flexible, can move in all directions and can pick things up! The babies of this species of Tapir are black with white stripes.
habitat
The Malayan Tapir are found in Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Myanmar to the island of Sumatra. All of these places are in Asia. They live in Tropical Rainforests. But they also are found in Wetland and lowland areas close to water.
diet
They will travel long distances to find food. The Malyan Tapir eats twigs, grasses, leaves and fruits. They eat 100 different species of plants!. They prefer new shoots of a plant.
breeding & caring for young
Malayan Tapir are solitary (live alone) animals except when they are mothers with a calf. Malayan Tapirs get sexual mature when they are around three years old. The female is pregnant for 400 days. Breeding usually happens between April and June. Usually a female will have one calf every two years. The babies of this species of Tapir are black with white stripes.
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threats & predators
The Malayan Tapir is classified as Endangered. In the wild their predators are tigers and leopards. One of their threats is habitat destruction. Most of the habitat destruction is for palm oil plantations. Unfortunately most of where Tapirs live are not in protected area.
The Malayan Tapir is hunted for their meat which is sold in markets. Originally many of the local tribes did not hunt The Malayan Tapir, because they believed that it would bring bad luck.
The Malayan Tapir is hunted for their meat which is sold in markets. Originally many of the local tribes did not hunt The Malayan Tapir, because they believed that it would bring bad luck.
how you can help
- Spread the message.
- Don't buy Malayan Tapir meat.
- Send letters to the government about protecting their habitat and making Palm Oil illegal.
- Have a Palm Oil free diet.
- Support & raise money for Malayan Tapir conservation.
image credits
http://www.zoochat.com/203/malayan-tapir-144828/
http://hamptonroads.thescoutguide.com/2013/09/
http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/03/meet-marjorie-the-baby-malayan-tapir.html
http://hamptonroads.thescoutguide.com/2013/09/
http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/03/meet-marjorie-the-baby-malayan-tapir.html