{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "tapir",
  "name": "Malayan Tapir",
  "scientificName": "Tapirus indicus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The Malayan tapir is the largest tapir species and the only one native to Asia, with a striking black front and white rear that breaks up its outline in dappled rainforest. Weighing 250–320 kg (550–700 lb), it browses leaves and fruit, disperses seeds, and is Endangered from deforestation and snaring.",
  "conservationStatus": "Endangered",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Perissodactyla",
    "family": "Tapiridae",
    "genus": "Tapirus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 250,
    "lengthM": 2.5,
    "topSpeedKmh": 48,
    "lifespanYears": 30
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Tapirus indicus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — leaves, shoots, fruit, and aquatic plants"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Tropical rainforests of Malaysia, Thailand, and Sumatra"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "25–30 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "250–320 kg (550–700 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 48 km/h (30 mph) on forest paths"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Endangered (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Tropical rainforests of peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand, and Sumatra — the only tapir species native to Asia.",
    "continents": [
      "Asia"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Tapirus indicus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Tapirus%20indicus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Tapirus indicus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tapirus_indicus/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/tapir/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/tapir/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}