Malayan Tapir

Scientific Name: Tapirus indicus
Sub species: no have
Classification: 

• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Perissodactyla
• Family: Tapiridae
• Genus: Tapirus
• Species: indicus

Adaptations:

• Black White Black

The black on the front and back with white or gray in the middle is a form of camouflage that breaks up the tapir’s outline in the shadows of the forest. The stripes
and spots on the vulnerable young help them blend into the dappled sunlight and leaf shadows of the forest and protects them from predators.

• Prehensile Snout

This flexible extended nose is used for plucking leaves and shoots from trees as well as sniffing their way along forest trails. They have an excellent sense of smell and relyon scents for communication. Urine spraying is used to mark well-used pathways between feeding
areas and water sources.

• Barrel-Shaped Body

Tapirs have a thick heavy barrel-shaped body ideal for crashing through dense forest vegetation. When frightened or threatened, tapirs can run quickly. Despite their large size they can climb steep slopes on the banks of rivers. They are excellent swimmers and spend a lot of time in the water.

Diet:

• What Does It Eat?

In the wild: As a vegetarian, non-ruminant the tapir east tender leaves and shoots, aquatic plants, buds, soft twigs and fruits of low-growing shrubs.
At the zoo: Grain, alfalfa, apples, bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, monkey chow.

• What Eats It?

Tigers and humans prey on the Malayan tapir.

Conservation Status:

• Status: Vulnerable.

The biggest threat to tapirs is habitat loss due to land clearance for human settlement and agriculture. In some areas they are hunted for food and for the live animal trade.