The Malayan Tapir

Have you ever seen a Malayan tapir? This animal is easily identified by its markings, especially the light-coloured patch which extends from its shoulders to its rear. This pattern is for camouflage. Other animals may mistake it for a large rock rather than a prey when it is lying down to sleep.

Malayan tapirs grow to between 1.8 to 2.4m in length, stand 90 to 107cm tall and weigh between 250 to 320kg. Some can weigh up to 500kg. The females are usually larger than the males. Like the other types of tapirs, they have small stubby tails and long, flexible proboscises. They have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot.

The Malayan tapir has very poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell. It is most active at night. It is the largest of the four tapir species at birth and grows more quickly than the others. The female tapir produces one calf every two years. The Malayan tapir can live up to 30 years, both in the wild and in captivity.

Test Your Science

1. How long is the gestation period of the Malayan tapir?

Get to know another nocturnal animal, the owl in the Young Scientists Issue 113 Level 1.