What Is The Baird's Tapir?

Some animals are fairly easy to classify into families and orders. A chihuahua and a wolf may be very different in size, but they're both quite clearly dogs. Jaguars, lions, tigers, and ocelots all belong to the feline group. Even warthogs and common pigs can be placed side by side and the commonalities become clear. So when you see a tapir, with its protruding lower back, hoofed feet, and flexible proboscis mouth, what genus does it belong to? It seems to be a cobbled-together mess of different parts.

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. They use this unique mouth to reach foliage and leaves on trees, and they will also raise their snouts to detect scents in the air.

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. Named for the naturalist who first observed it, these mammals are threatened with extinction due to hunting and habitat loss. 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.

Young are born with stripes and spots, which help to camouflage them while they are still vulnerable. This coloring eventually fades as they reach sexual maturity. 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. Adults reach up to four feet in height, and can weigh up to 880 pounds; while they're quite shy, they have been known to attack humans in self-defense and can be dangerous. They should not be approached in the wild.

Conservation laws in Mexico forbid hunting, but are not very rigorously enforced. Local conservationists have recently begun an educational approach, teaching communities about sustainable forestry techniques which will help preserve the habitat of these unique mammals. If you end up on vacation in Mexico and come across a Baird's Tapir in the wild, be sure to give it a respectful, wide berth. They can be found in Oaxaca and Veracruz.

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