Transcript tapir
Amazonian Rainforest Animal Brazilian Tapir Tapirus terrestris Aaron Lam & Nathan Persich 8.1 Anatomy • • • • • • Looks like big pig Short Trunk 2” tail Approx. 3 ft. tall. Weighs up to 600 lbs About 6 feet in length Where does it live? • Tropical zones of mainland South America • Brazil • Bolivia • Peru • Ecuador • Colombia • the Guianas • Venezuela • Northern Argentina Life cycle • Mating any time of year • 13 months later female gives birth to single calf • Baby tapir independent 8 months after birth • Baby tapirs have stripes and spots for camouflage. • Markings fade after few months. Adult fur in a year. • Tapir ready to breed in 2-3 years. • Lives up to 30 years in captivity Diet • Herbivorous • Eats aquatic plants, fruits, leaves, buds, shoots, grasses • Walk along bottom of streams eating water plants Habitat • Somewhere with a river, creek, lake or flooded plain nearby • Forest and marshy lowlands Habits • • • • Nocturnal Loves water; can stay under for long time Rests in shade of undergrowth at day Will escape to water if threatened Tapir’s Role In Ecosystem • Spreads seeds • Smash down small trees and break branches that get in the way and clear path for other animals Threats • Brazilian tapir is classified as vulnerable (at high risk of extinction in the wild) • Expected population reduction of >30% in the next ten years or 3 generations, whichever is longer (up to 100 years max) • Main threats are loss of habitat (deforestation) and being hunted for consumption • Preyed upon by big cats (i.e. jaguar) and crocodiles Population Estimated tapir population in Venezuela • 10,000 south of Orinoco River • 5,000 in Orinoco Delta Bibliography • http://www.redlist.org/ • http://ladywildlife.com/animal/braziliantapir.html • http://www.enchantedlearning.com/paint/subjects/mammals/tapir/Tapir printout.shtml • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapir • http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/images/animal%20fact/Tapir.pdf • http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/pagegen/htm/fix/fg/fg_body.asp?sAnima l=Lowland+(or+Brazilian)+Tapir • http://www.tapirback.com/tapirgal/gifts/130-139/lowland-tapirpostcard-136.htm • http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/rforest/animals/tapir.htm