South American tapir Tapirus terrestris
South America's largest plant-eating land mammal.
The South American tapir lives in the rainforests and wetlands of South America. With its short trunk, this herbivore is well adapted to living in dense waterlogged areas.
The South American tapir in a nutshell
- eats
- leaves, lianas, shrubs, plants, bark, reeds and fruit
- inhabits
- South American
- excels at
- spreading seeds and swimming
Trunk as snorkel
Tapirs are excellent swimmers. While swimming, they use their trunk as a snorkel. In the wild, the water not only helps them remove parasites from their skin, but also provides protection from predators such as jaguars and pumas.
A well-camouflaged youngster
After a gestation period of 13 months, one young is usually born. Tapir calves have brown fur with white stripes, which camouflages them well in the dense greenery. This camouflage disappears after about seven months.
Important seed dispersers
Tapirs also eat the seeds of fruits. The ingested seeds are often released back into nature undamaged through the faeces. This makes tapirs important seed dispersers and helps maintain biodiversity in their habitat.
Threats
Unfortunately, tapirs are threatened by several factors, including hunting for their meat, hunting for sale as pets, deforestation and poisoning by drug waste. At ARTIS Zoo, South American tapirs are part of a species conservation programme aimed at protecting this unique species.
