Malayan tapir
Appearance
Malayan Tapir | |
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Malayan tapir at Louisville Zoo | |
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Tapirus indicus (Desmarest, 1819)
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Malayan tapir range |
The Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus), also called the Asian tapir, Asiatic tapir, Oriental tapir, Indian tapir, or piebald tapir, is the largest of the five species of tapir. It the only one native to Asia. This shows that the original distribution of its family was much wider, because all the other species are found in Central or South America.
The scientific name refers to the East Indies, the species' natural habitat. In the Malay, the tapir is commonly referred to as "cipan", "tenuk" or "badak tampong".