General Characteristics

Head to body Length  :  220 - 250 cm ( 88 -98 inches )

Tail Length : 5 - 10 cm ( 2-4 inches )

Height : 90 - 105 cm ( 34 - 42 inches )

Weight : 250 - 300 kg ( 550 - 660 lbs ) 

Description 

The body coloration is unmistakable: the front part of the body (ending just after front legs) and hind legs are black, while the back has a saddle of grizzled white or gray.  While this coloration seems conspicuous, it renders the tapir nearly invisible in the moonlit jungle at night.  Young animals are completely different from their mature relatives, resembling brown watermelons with whitish stripes and spots on a chocolate brown coat.  They lose this baby coat 4-7 months after birth.  The thick hide is sparsely covered with hair, and there is no mane or ridge on the neck.  The body is round and barrel-shaped, the tail is no more than a stump.  The nose and upper lip are extended to form a short, prehensile proboscis.  The eyes are small and beady, and the ears are rimmed with white.

Range - Malayan Tapirs live in  Sumatra, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia .

Habitat - They live in a peninsular, Malaysia  from the lowland to the drier ridges.

Diet - It eats only the young leaves, growing twigs,shrubs,and tree species.

Status - There are only 3,000 Malayan tapirs left in the wild

Reason for the status -  It is because of habitat destruction and hunting by humans.

What type of animal is it - It is a herbivore. 

Gestation : 390-395 days

Longevity : 30 years

   Malayan Tapir at San Diego zoo in California