How Do Tapirs Reproduce? Detailed Explanation of Reproduction Methods and Key Technical Points
Tapir, also called mo, is the most primitive extant odd-toed ungulate, with a pig-like body, a retractable short trunk, and is good at swimming and diving, and is herbivorous.So how does it reproduce?
1. How do tapirs reproduce?
The tapir's mode of reproduction is viviparous, giving birth to 1 calf per litter, occasionally 2 calves. In addition, tapirs can mate in water or on land; the gestation period of the female tapir is 392-419 days, and they reach sexual maturity at 4-5 years of age. Their lifespan is 20-25 years.
2. What are the living habits of tapirs?
1. Lifestyle
Tapirs mostly live alone or in pairs, and do not like living in groups. They forage in forest clearings, and often roll in pools to kill parasites on their skin. Tapirs also have thick skin, covered with sparse, short, fine hair.
2. Food
In the wild, tapirs mainly forage by smell, feeding mainly on the tender branches, leaves, and wild fruits of succulent plants, especially aquatic plants. They can skillfully use their long trunk to roll and pick food, and eat about 9 kg of food per day. Their teeth are very hard and can bite through tough, thick branches. The chewing surface of the molars is very wide, like a millstone, and is well suited to grinding food; even coarse, fibrous branches and leaves can be ground to pieces.
3. What species of tapirs are there?
1. Asian tapir
The Asian tapir, also called the Malayan tapir, is the largest of the tapirs, feeding mainly on bamboo, and also eating branches and leaves. It has now been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2008 Red List of Threatened Species, and is an endangered species.
2. Lowland tapir
The lowland tapir inhabits the Amazon rainforest of South America and places near water in the Amazon basin. It feeds mainly on shrub and vine seedlings and leaves, bark, reeds, and fruits, and also steals melons, fruits, roots, and leaves from farmland..
3. Mountain tapir
The mountain tapir, also called the Andean tapir, woolly tapir, or mountain tapir, inhabits subtropical dense forests at an altitude of 2000 to 3800 m, and is nocturnal. It feeds mainly on plants such as shrubs, ferns, stems and leaves of succulent plants, and melons and fruits. They usually reproduce once every other year, with no fixed breeding season.
In addition, the Baird's tapir and the Kabomani tapir are also species of tapir, and their reproduction is also viviparous, meaning the timing of reproduction may differ slightly.