World Tapir Day – 27th April
World Tapir Day – 27th April
World Tapir Day: Raising Awareness of Tapirs Since 2008. World Tapir Day is celebrated on 27 April each year.
Tapir, (genus Tapirus), any of four extant species of hoofed mammals; South American tapir, the Malayan tapir, Baird’s tapir, and the mountain tapir. the only extant members of the family Tapiridae (order Perissodactyla), found in tropical forests of Malaysia and the New WorldHeavy-bodied and rather short-legged, tapirs are 1.3 to 2.5 metres long and reach about 1 metre at the shoulder. The eyes are small, the ears are short and rounded, and the snout extends into a short fleshy proboscis, or trunk, that hangs down over the upper lip. The proboscis is a highly flexible organ, able to move in all directions allowing the animal to grab foliage. The length of the proboscis varying among species. Malayan tapirs have the longest and Brazilian Tapirs have the shortest.
The four New World species are black, plain dark brown, or gray, but the Malayan tapir is strongly patterned, with black head, shoulders, and legs and white rump, back, and belly. The young of all tapirs are dark brown, streaked and spotted with yellowish white.This geographic distribution, with four species in Central and South America and one in Southeast Asia, is peculiar. Fossil remains from Europe, China, and North America show that tapirs were once widespread, but the extinction of intermediate forms has isolated the living species.
Although they frequently live in dryland forests, tapirs with access to rivers spend a good deal of time in and under water, feeding on soft vegetation, taking refuge from predators, and cooling off during hot periods. Tapirs near a water source will swim, sink to the bottom, and walk along the riverbed to feed, and have been known to submerge themselves to allow small fish to pick parasites off their bulky bodies. Along with freshwater lounging, tapirs often wallow in mud pits, which helps to keep them cool and free of insects.
All four species of Tapirs are listed as endangered or vulnerable.
Like any other herbivores, a major portion of a tapir’s diet constitutes herbs, shrubs, and leaves of trees. Tapirs feed on types of leaves, grasses, fruits, and berries. They are also known to take farmers’ crops.
– Source: Internet –