The South American tapir (''Tapirus terrestris''), also commonly called the Brazilian tapir (from the
Tupi ''tapi'ira''), the Amazonian tapir, the maned tapir, the lowland tapir, the ''anta'' (
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
), and ''la sachavaca'' (literally "bushcow", in mixed
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
and
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
), is one of the four recognized
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
in the
tapir
Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South and Central America, with one species inh ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
(of the order ''
Perissodactyla'', with the
mountain tapir
The mountain tapir, also known as the Andean tapir or woolly tapir (''Tapirus pinchaque'') is the smallest of the four widely recognized species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism ...
, the
Malayan tapir
The Malayan tapir (''Tapirus indicus''), also called Asian tapir, Asiatic tapir and Indian tapir, is the only tapir species native to Southeast Asia from the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra. It has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since ...
, and the
Baird's tapir).
It is the largest surviving native terrestrial mammal in the Amazon.
Most classification taxons also include ''Tapirus kabomani'' (also known as the little black tapir or kabomani tapir) as also belonging to the species ''Tapirus terrestris'' (Brazilian tapir), despite its questionable existence and the overall lack of information on its habits and distribution. The
specific epithet derives from ''arabo kabomani'', the word for tapir in the local
Paumarí language
Paumarí (also Paumari, Purupuru, Kurukuru, Pamari, Purupurú, Pammari, Curucuru, Palmari) is an Arauan language spoken in Brazil by about 300 older adults out of an ethnic population of 900. It is spoken by the Paumari Indians, who call their ...
. The formal description of this tapir did not suggest a common name for the species.
[ The Karitiana people call it the ''little black tapir''.][ It is, purportedly, the smallest tapir species, even smaller than the ]mountain tapir
The mountain tapir, also known as the Andean tapir or woolly tapir (''Tapirus pinchaque'') is the smallest of the four widely recognized species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism ...
(''T. pinchaque''), which had been considered the smallest. ''T. kabomani'' is allegedly also found in the Amazon rainforest, where it appears to be sympatric with the well-known South American tapir (''T. terrestris''). When it was described in December of 2013, ''T. kabomani'' was the first odd-toed ungulate
Odd-toed ungulates, mammals which constitute the taxonomic order Perissodactyla (, ), are animals—ungulates—who have reduced the weight-bearing toes to three (rhinoceroses and tapirs, with tapirs still using four toes on the front legs) o ...
discovered in over 100 years. However, ''T. kabomani'' has not been officially recognized by the Tapir Specialist Group as a distinct species; recent genetic evidence further suggests it is likely a subspecies of ''T. terrestris.''
Appearance
''T. terrestris'' is dark brown, paler in the face, and has a low, erect crest running from the crown down the back of the neck. The round, dark ears have distinctive white edges. Newborn tapirs have a dark brown coat, with small white spots and stripes along the body. The South American tapir can attain a body length of with a short stubby tail and an average weight around . Adult weight has been reported ranging from . It stands somewhere between at the shoulder.
Features claimed for Tapirus kabomani
With an estimated mass of only , ''T. kabomani'' is the smallest living tapir.[ For comparison, the ]mountain tapir
The mountain tapir, also known as the Andean tapir or woolly tapir (''Tapirus pinchaque'') is the smallest of the four widely recognized species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism ...
has a mass between .[Tapirus pinchaque]
Animal Diversity Web[Mountain Tapir]
, Arkive ''Tapirus kabomani'' is roughly long and in shoulder height.[
It has a distinct ]phenotype
In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological pr ...
from other members of the species. It can be differentiated by its coloration: it is a range of darker grey to brown than other ''T. terrestris'' strains.[ This species also features relatively short legs for a tapir caused by a ]femur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates wit ...
length that is shorter than dentary
In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...
length.[ The crest is smaller and less prominent.][ ''T. kabomani'' also seems to exhibit some level of ]sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...
as females tend to be larger than males and possess a characteristic patch of light hair on their throats. The patch extends from the chin up to the ear and down to the base of the neck.[
Head and skull attributes are also important in identification of this species. This tapir possesses a single, narrow, low and gently inclined sagittal crest that rises posteriorly from the toothrow.][ ''T. kabomani'' skulls also lack both a ]nasal septum
The nasal septum () separates the left and right airways of the nasal cavity, dividing the two nostrils.
It is depressed by the depressor septi nasi muscle.
Structure
The fleshy external end of the nasal septum is called the columella or co ...
and dorsal maxillary flanges.[ The skull possesses a meatal diverticulum fossa that is shallower and less dorsally extended than those of the other four extant species of tapir.][
]
Geographic range
The South American tapir can be found near water in the Amazon Rainforest and River Basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
in South America, east of the Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
. Its geographic range stretches from Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, Colombia, and the Guianas in the north to Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, and Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
in the south, to Bolivia, Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
, and Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
in the west. On rare occasions, waifs have crossed the narrow sea channel from Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
to the southern coast of the island of Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
(but no breeding population exists there).
''Tapirus kabomani'' is restricted to South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
. It is found in habitats consisting of a mosaic of forest and savannah.[ It has been collected in southern Amazonas (the type locality), Rondônia, and Mato Grosso states in ]Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The species is also believed to be present in Amazonas department
Amazonas () is a department of Southern Colombia in the south of the country. It is the largest department in area while also having the 3rd smallest population. Its capital is Leticia and its name comes from the Amazon River, which drains the ...
in Colombia, and it may be present in Amapá, Brazil, in north Bolivia and in southern French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...
.[
]
Behavior
''T. terrestris'' is an excellent swimmer and diver, but also moves quickly on land, even over rugged, mountainous terrain. It has a life span of approximately 25 to 30 years. In the wild, its main predators are crocodilians (only the black caiman and Orinoco crocodile
The Orinoco crocodile (''Crocodylus intermedius'') is a critically endangered crocodile. Its population is very small, and they can only be found in the Orinoco river basin in Colombia and Venezuela. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19 ...
, the latter of which is critically endangered, are large enough to take these tapirs, as the American crocodile
The American crocodile (''Crocodylus acutus'') is a species of crocodilian found in the Neotropics. It is the most widespread of the four extant species of crocodiles from the Americas, with populations present from South Florida and the coasts ...
only exists in the northern part of South America) and large cats, such as the jaguar and cougar, which often attack tapirs at night when tapirs leave the water and sleep on the riverbank. The South American tapir is also attacked by the green anaconda
The green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''), also known as the giant Emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa or sucuri, is a boa species found in South America. It is the heaviest and one of the longest known extant snake species. Lik ...
(''Eunectes murinus''). ''T. terrestris'' is known to run to water when scared to take cover.
There is a need for more research to better explore social interactions.
Diet
The South American tapir is an herbivore. Using its mobile nose, it feeds on leaves, buds, shoots, and small branches it tears from trees, fruit, grasses, and aquatic plants. They also feed on the vast majority of seeds found in the rainforest. This is known because the diet is studied through observation of browsing, analysis of feces, and studying stomach contents.
Although it has been determined via fecal samples that ''T. kabomani'' feeds on palm tree
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm ...
leaves and seeds from the genera '' Attalea'' and ''Astrocaryum
''Astrocaryum'' is a genus of about 36 to 40 species of palms native to Central and South America and Trinidad.
Description
''Astrocaryum'' is a genus of spiny palms with pinnately compound leaves–rows of leaflets emerge on either side of th ...
'', much about the diet and ecology of ''T. kabomani'' is unknown. Previously discovered tapirs are known to be important seed dispersers and to play key roles in the rainforest or mountain ecosystems in which they occur.[ It is possible that ''T. kabomani'' shares this role with the other members of its genus although further research is required.
]
Mating
''T. terrestris'' mates in April, May, or June, reaching sexual maturity in the third year of life. Females go through a gestation period of 13 months (390–395 days) and will typically have one offspring every two years. A newborn South American tapir weighs about 15 pounds (6.8 kilos) and will be weaned in about six months.
Endangered status
The dwindling numbers of the South American tapir are due to poaching
Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights.
Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...
for meat and hide, as well as habitat destruction.
''T. terrestris'' is generally recognized as an endangered animal species, with the species being designated as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
on June 2, 1970. It has a significantly lower risk of extinction
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
, though, than the other four tapir species.
Conservation of T. kabomani
The species may be relatively common in forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
-savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
mosaic habitat (relicts of former cerrado
The ''Cerrado'' (, ) is a vast ecoregion of tropical savanna in eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District. The core areas of the Cerrado biome are the ...
). Nevertheless, the species is threatened by prospects of future habitat loss related to deforestation
Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...
, development and expanding human populations.[
While this tapir does not seem to be rare in the upper ]Madeira River
The Madeira River ( pt, Rio Madeira, link=no ) is a major waterway in South America. It is estimated to be in length, while the Madeira-Mamoré is estimated near or in length depending on the measuring party and their methods. The Madeira is ...
region of the southwestern Brazilian Amazon,[ its precise conservation status is unknown. ''T. kabomani'' is limited by its habitat preference and tends not to be found where its preferred mosaic gives way to either pure savannah or forest.][ This, in combination with the fact that other less restricted tapir species within the area are already classified as endangered, has led scientists to hypothesize that the new species is likely to prove more endangered than other members of its genus.][ Human population growth and deforestation within southwestern Amazonia threaten ''T. kabomani'' through habitat destruction.][ The creation of infrastructure such as roads as well as two dams planned for the area as of December 2013 further threaten to considerably alter the home range.][ Hunting is also a concern. The Karitiana tribe, a group of people indigenous to the area, regularly hunt the tapir.][ Additional threats exist from crocodilians and jaguars, natural predators of tapirs within the area.]
Humans aside, the region of the Amazon in which ''T. kabomani'' is found has also been highlighted as an area that is likely to be particularly susceptible to global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
and the ecosystem changes it brings.[
]
History of classification
Although it was not formally described until 2013, the possibility that ''T. kabomani'' might be a distinct species had been suggested as early as 100 years prior. The first specimen recognized as a member of this species was collected on the Roosevelt–Rondon Scientific Expedition
The Roosevelt–Rondon Scientific Expedition ( Portuguese: Expedição Científica Rondon–Roosevelt) was a survey expedition in 1913–14 to follow the path of the Rio da Dúvida ("River of Doubt") in the Amazon basin. The expedition was jointl ...
. Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
(1914) believed they had collected a new species, as local hunters recognized two types of tapir in the region[ and another member of the expedition, Leo E. Miller, suggested that two species were present. Nevertheless, though observed by experts, all tapirs from the expedition have been consistently treated as ''T. terrestris'',] including specimen AMNH
The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 i ...
36661, which is now identified as ''T. kabomani''.[ Ten years before ''T. kabomani'' was formally described, scientists suspected the existence of a new species while examining skulls that did not resemble the skulls of known tapir species.] When the species was formally described in December 2013,[ it was the first tapir species described since ''T. bairdii'' in 1865.]
Relationships
In both morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses,[ ''T. kabomani'' was recovered as the first diverging of the three tapirs restricted to South America. Morphological analysis suggested that the closest relative of ''T. kabomani'' may be the extinct species '' T. rondoniensis''.][ Molecular dating methods based on three mitochondrial ]cytochrome
Cytochromes are redox-active proteins containing a heme, with a central Fe atom at its core, as a cofactor. They are involved in electron transport chain and redox catalysis. They are classified according to the type of heme and its mode of bi ...
genes gave an approximate divergence time of 0.5 Ma for ''T. kabomani'' and the ''T. terrestris''–'' T. pinchaque'' clade, while ''T. pinchaque'' was found to have arisen within a paraphyletic ''T. terrestris'' complex much more recently (in comparison, the split between ''T. bairdii'' and the tapirs restricted to South America took place around 5 Ma ago).[
]
Controversy
The validity of the species, and whether or not it can be reliably distinguished from the South American tapir, has subsequently been questioned on both morphological and genetic grounds. Morphological differences between the two species of tapir are noted to be especially difficult to discern in photographs allegedly depicting ''T. kabomani'' and noted to be only qualitatively described in the original literature. Morphologically, lack of published numerical ranges for diagnostic differences make it incredibly difficult for individuals to be identified in the field as little black tapirs instead of South American tapirs. A heavy reliance upon the indigenous people for identification of ''T. kabomani'' was also noted in the major dissenting article. Concerns were cited regarding the reliability of information when it is gathered from locals as, while they are frequently aware of many more species in an area, they can sometimes describe haplotypes of culturally important species to be entirely different species.[
Genetic evidence has been questioned on similar grounds. Several examined ]genetic sequence
A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases signified by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. By convention, sequences are us ...
s said to be characteristic for the species, most notably the ''Cyth'' sequence of cytochrome b
Cytochrome b within both molecular and cell biology, is a protein found in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells. It functions as part of the electron transport chain and is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes.
F ...
, have been described as minimally divergent from those of other South American tapirs.[ Further analyses of cytochrome b sequences did reveal a clade allegedly belonging to ''T. kabomani'', however, it was described to be only as divergent as some haplotype found in other species.][ Mitochondrial DNA originally connected to morphological traits and used to describe the species has also been called into question. Although several samples of ''T. kabomani'' have been obtained, only the two samples from southwestern Amazonia were analysed while those obtained in the northwest were not.][ The connection between the morphology and DNA of supposed ''T. kabomani'' in northwestern areas is unknown and there is the possibility that the correlation between mtDNA and morphology is insufficiently supported.][
However, besides cytochrome b, two other mitochondrial genes were analyzed, COI and COII, both showing the same pattern found for cytochrome b.][Cozzuol, M.A.; de Thoisy, B.; Fernandes-Ferreira, H.; Rodrigues F.H.G. and Santos, F.R. (2014) How much evidence is enough evidence for a new species?. ''Journal of Mammalogy'', 95(4):899-905. 2014. doi:10.1644/14-MAMM-A-182] Several other objections raised against the distinction of ''T. kabomani'' from ''T. terrestris'', including external and internal morphological characters, statistical analysis, distribution and use of folk taxonomy, were addressed in Cozzuol et al (2014).
Further genetic evidence invalidating ''T. kabomani'' as a new species was published by Ruiz-Garcia et al. (2016). Ruiz-Garcia et al. found and sampled tapirs that fit the morphological description provided by Cozzuol et al. (2013) for ''T. kabomani'' but they only showed haplotypes of other ''T. terrestris'' haplogroups. In addition, the morphological evidence for ''T. kabomani'' has been contradicted by further research. Dumbá et al. reevaluated skull shape variation among tapir species and found that ''T. kabomani'' and ''T. terrestris'' exhibit considerable overlap in skull morphology, though it could still be distinguished by its broad forehead.
Gallery
File:Junger Flachlandtapir.JPG, Young South American tapir at the Dortmund Zoo
File:Tapir8.JPG, South American tapir in northern Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
File:Tapir heart (Tapirus terrestris).jpg, South American tapir heart (''Tapirus terrestris'')
File:Tapirus.terrestris.flehmen.jpg, South American tapir performing the Flehmen response
The flehmen response (; from German ''flehmen'', to bare the upper teeth, and Upper Saxon German ''flemmen'', to look spiteful), also called the flehmen position, flehmen reaction, flehmen grimace, flehming, or flehmening, is a behavior in which ...
Notes
References
External links
*ARKive
images and movies of the lowland tapir ''(Tapirus terrestris)''
*Tapir Specialist Group
Multiple photographs of ''T. kabomani'' can be viewed at this website.
Further reading
* Linnaeus C (1758). ''Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, diferentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata.'' Stockholm: L. Salvius. 824 pp. (''Hippopotamus terrestris'', new species, p. 74). (in Latin).
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q220271, from2=Q15327636
Tapirs
Mammals of Argentina
Mammals of Bolivia
Mammals of Brazil
Mammals of Colombia
Mammals of Ecuador
Mammals of French Guiana
Mammals of Guyana
Mammals of Paraguay
Mammals of Peru
Mammals of Suriname
Mammals of Venezuela
Fauna of the Amazon
Mammals described in 1758
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus