Tapirus pinchaque
TAXONOMY
Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin, 1829), Páramo de Sumapaz, Colombia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Andean tapir, woolly tapir, Roulin's tapir; French: Tapir pinchaque, tapir de Roulin, tapir des Andes, le pinchaque;
German: Bergtapir, Wolltapir; Spanish: Danta de montaña, danta de Páramo, danta lanuda, danta cordillerana, danta negra, tapir de altura, gran bestia, bestia negra, pinchaque.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Head and body length: 6 ft (1.8 m); tail length: 2–4 in (5–10 cm); shoulder height: 30–32 in (75–80 cm); weight: 330–550 lb (150–250 kg). Coal black to dark reddish-brown coloring. Cheeks may be lighter. Young have white stripes and spots. Lips and edges of ears are white.
DISTRIBUTION
Lives from the northern Andes of Peru, including the Cordillera de Lagunillas and del Condor, through the eastern Andes of Ecuador and parts of western Andes in the north; thence, further north into Colombia in fragmented populations from the eastern, central, and, perhaps, the western Andes, to mid Colombia. Formerly occurred further north along both the central and eastern Andes of Colombia and was much more common in Ecuador and Peru as well as western Venezuela, particularly in the area of El Tama National Park near San Cristobal. Particularly the eastern flank of the eastern Andes is this endangered species' most important redoubt. Inhabit and are integral to the highland watersheds serving much of Amazonia and are associated with a global hot spot of biodiversity along the eastern Andes.
HABITAT
Montane cloud forest and paramo, and scrub ecotone from 4,920 to 15,420 ft (1,500–4,700 m) elevation, more common from 6,560 to 14,735 ft (2,000–4,500 m) elevation.
BEHAVIOR
More difficult to keep in captivity than other tapirs. Its tracks may be found up to the snow line. Adult home ranges of 1,360–2,175 acres (550–880 ha), divided between cloud forest and treeless paramo. The mountain tapir is especially active during crepuscular hours and is active half of the time during the night and half of the time during daylight hours. Shows increased nocturnal activity during the full moon.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Eats many different trees, shrubs, herbs, fern fronds, and horsetails, and also seeks out nitrogen-fixers, e.g., lupins and (Gunnera spp.). A highly significant correlation between frequency of seed germination from feces and dietary frequency indicates a mutualistic coevolution of the mountain tapir with the northern Andean flora.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Gestation is 390–400 days. One, rarely two, offspring, weighing 9–13 lb (4–6 kg) at birth. Young may stay with mother between one and two years. Monogamous through breeding season.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Remains Endangered with extinction. Estimated 2,500 mountain tapirs for the nation of Colombia. In captivity, they are very susceptible to disease, displaying little ability to adjust to lowlands. Global warming imposes a grave threat to them as cold-adapted, montane ecosystems are increasingly displaced. The mountain tapir is the most endangered of all tapir species due to its small numbers, its restricted global distribution, and the human onslaught against its remaining habitats and populations. It is the inhospitable cold and rain and the steepness of terrain that most preserve the mountain tapirs.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Hunted for meat, furry hide, and leather, and for parts such as hoofs and snout, which are used in folk medicine. Significant in Amerindian religious concepts. Important seed disperser for economically valuable trees and bushes and for maintaining bio-diversity and well-functioning of Andean ecosystems vital as watersheds.
