Tapirus pinchaque (Perissodactyla: Tapiridae)

Abstract

Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin, 1829), the mountain tapir, is considered the smallest and least specialized of the 4 species of Tapirus. It is restricted to parts of temperate areas from Colombia and Ecuador to extreme northwestern Peru. It is a foliage browser that generally inhabits moist habitats that facilitate bathing; however, they are frequently found in thick bush in the cold and humid zones of the Andes between 1,400 and 4,400 m. T. pinchaque, one of the rarest mammals in the world, is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora and is considered "Endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.