Mountain tapirs are really cool animals. You may think that they're just animals that look weird but if you think about it they're interesting. Mountain tapir's body length is 6 feet and they usually weigh 500 pounds. Their collar can be black, red black, or black with a white back. When they are young they have white strips. There coat is thick, long, and rough (which covers there skin). Some of their adaptations are that they have a tapperd front which makes it easy to move through and around under brush. Another is there rubbery flexible nose perfect for eating leaves and fruit.

 

The mountain tapir makes a living by being active during the night, hiding in water, eating fruits, laves, and grass, and competing for territory. They do that usually in the forest and mountains. They do well in the ecosystem by having the skills of good hearing for when a predator is coming, having good feet for walking and running through the mountains. They live in the Andes in Sothern America. The mountains are 6,400-14,000 ft. Most of the mountain tapirs are endangered. There are 2500 or less of them. Their population is shrinking by getting hunted and eaten by animals including lions, jaguars, and humans. When a mountain tapir eats it usually eats leaves, shrubs, seeds, grasses, and fruits. My animal competes for food by getting a territory with lots of plants and trees and feeding off of it.

 

If another mountain tapir gets into its territory they fight for it. They fight with other mountain tapirs or herbivores. Jaguars, tigers, humans, and sometimes lions hunt or eat mountain tapirs. Mountain tapirs evade being eating or hunted by running, or hiding in the water. If there is no way to run they fight viscously. Often the predators run away. Some interesting facts I learned was that the biggest mountain tapir was 1,000 pounds. Also they use them for a medicine. But what I learned is that they are a shy pig looking animal that is endangered that shouldn't be.

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Author: Kristin B  

Published: 02/2009

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Bibliography: mountain tapir http://www.ultimhttp://www.animalinfo.org last updated march 4/04 Perissodactyla/Tapirus_pinchaque.htm last updated june 4/06