Pictures and facts about the Mountain tapir

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Mountain tapir

Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Tapiridae
Species : Tapirus pinchaque

 

The Andean tapir, mountain tapir, woolly tapir is listed as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Facts about the mountain tapir

Baird's, Brazilian, and Mountain tapirs are all found in South America with the Brazilian tapir found in the Pantanal and Cerrado.

Binomial name Tapirus pinchaque </small> The mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical

The mountain tapir is referred to as Sacha Huagra by Quechua speakers, danta cordillerana (cordilleran tapir) and danta lanuda (woolly tapir) by Spanish-speakers in Colombia, danta negra (black tapir) by Spanish-speaking Ecuadorians, and tapir de altura (tapir of the heights) or gran bestia (large

Thus, the mountain tapir is a vital keystone species for the high Andes of northern South America.

To develop these projects, Nativa has signed separate agreements with the Nasa Indian community in which area the Tapirus pinchaque is located and with the Ecological Group, Friends of Nature in Palomino, Guajira where the last family of the Tapirus terrestres colombianus lives.

But for the most part, mountain tapirs are shy and lead solitary lives, spending their waking hours foraging for food on their own along well-worn tapir paths. (Full text)

Hunting for meat and hides has substantially reduced their numbers and, more recently, massive habitat loss has resulted in the conservation watch-listing of all four species: the Brazilian Tapir is classified as lower risk, near threatened; both Baird's and the Malayan Tapir (which may exist in Borneo) are classified as vulnerable; and the Mountain Tapir is endangered. (Full text)

The Mountain Tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild. (Full text)

The mountain tapir is referred to as Sacha Huagra by Quechua speakers, danta cordillerana (cordilleran tapir) and danta lanuda (woolly tapir) by Spanish-speakers in Colombia, danta negra (black tapir) by Spanish-speaking Ecuadorians, and tapir de altura (tapir of the heights) or gran bestia (large beast) by Spanish-speaking Peruvians. (Full text)

The mountain tapir is in the Andes from Venezuela through Peru, frequenting mountain forests and alpine meadows. (Full text)

Although mountain tapirs are generally solitary, except for mothers with young, they have been seen in groups of 5 - 7 individuals. (Full text)

The mountain tapir is a browser, with a diet that includes ferns and plant shoots. (Full text)

Description The mountain tapir is a 'living fossil'; the smallest of four surviving species of tapir that represent the remnants of a lineage that evolved around 55 million years ago, after the demise of the dinosaurs. (Full text)

Hunting for meat and hides has substantially reduced their numbers and more recently massive habitat loss has resulted in the conservation watch-listing of all four species: the Brazilian Tapir is classified as lower risk, near threatened; both Baird's and the Malayan Tapir (which may exist in Borneo) are classed as vulnerable; and the Mountain Tapir is endangered. (Full text)

Tapirus pinchaque The mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is the smallest of the four species of tapir and is the only one to live outside of tropical rainforests in the wild. (Full text)

Range and Population Tapirus pinchaque is known from the Andean area of Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru. (Full text)

This beautiful mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque) is made in Colombia by Sergio Sandoval, a tapir scientist, conservationist, and artist. (Full text)

All of the remaining mountain tapirs are related to each other. (Full text)

The mountain tapir is the smallest of the four tapir species, and has the most hair. (Full text)

The mountain tapirs are seriously endangered in the wild. (Full text)

Two species, Baird’s and mountain tapirs, are classified as Endangered by IUCN; Asian and lowland tapirs are considered Vulnerable by IUCN. (Full text)

Mountain tapirs are severely endangered, mostly due to over-hunting, habitat destruction and the resulting population fragmentation. (Full text)