What Is The Baird's Tapir?

Some animals are more difficult to classify into
orders and families than others. You can compare
a wolf and a chihuahua and still see that they
are both dogs. There are many types of cats;
from lions to tigers, ocelots and jaguars, that
are all still clearly felines. Common pigs and
warthogs share many attributes, clearly, when
they're placed side by side. However, when one
looks at a tapir and takes into account it's
hoofed feet, protruding lower back, and flexible
proboscis mouth, it's hard to picture a genus
that it belongs to. At first glance, It seems
like an odd assortment of bits and pieces of a
range of animals.

There are four different species of tapir,
including one which is commonly seen in Mexico.
The genus belongs to the odd-toed hoof-having
order Perissodactyla, which also includes horses
and rhinoceroses. The Tapirus genus generally
reaches about seven feet in length, and stands
about three feet high at the shoulder. They have
a proboscis, which is very flexible and able to
move in all directions. Their snouts are
sensitive to scents in the air, and their unique
mouths are useful for reaching foliage on trees.

Baird's Tapir is the species which lives in
Central America, in a range extending from the
southeast states of Mexico down into parts of
Panama and Columbia. These mammals are
threatened with extinction due to hunting and
loss of habitat, and they're named after the
naturalist who first found them. It has a
distinctive cream-colored facial marking, and is
otherwise greyish brown. These creatures are
primarily nocturnal, and usually solitary,
although small feeding groups will forage
together, especially if they are juvenile and
with their mothers.

Much like deer, the young have stripes and spots
that help to camouflage them from predators. As
they reach sexual maturity, the coloring
eventually fades. Baird's Tapir enjoys wading in
watering holes, and can sometimes be observed
only with their heads peeking out above the
surface of a pond or lake. Weighing up to 880
pounds, adults can reach up to four feet in
height; They can be dangerous and will attack in
self-defense if they feel threatened, even though
they're known to be quite shy overall.. They
should not be approached in the wild.

Hunting of the animals in Mexico is forbidden
but the laws are not enforced well.. Sustainable
forestry techniques are being taught to local
communities, as a means to help preserve the
habitat of these unusual mammals. Give Baird's
Tapir a respectful, wide berth, if you should
happen to see one while vacationing in Mexico.
They can be found in Oaxaca and Veracruz.


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