World Tapir Day: Tapir Species
There are four recognised species of extant tapir: three in Central and South America and one in Southeast Asia:
In late 2013, an academic paper was published, in which the authors claim to have discovered a new species of tapir in South America. This species has yet to be classified in its own right, with ongoing debate about whether it is a distinct species or simply a juvenile Brazilian tapir:
There are also many species of extinct tapir that lived in North and South America, Europe and Asia, in some cases until a little over 10,000 years ago.
- Baird's tapir, Tapirus bairdii
- Brazilian tapir, Tapirus terrestris
- Malayan tapir, Tapirus indicus
- Mountain tapir, Tapirus pinchque
In late 2013, an academic paper was published, in which the authors claim to have discovered a new species of tapir in South America. This species has yet to be classified in its own right, with ongoing debate about whether it is a distinct species or simply a juvenile Brazilian tapir:
- Kabomani tapir, Tapirus kabomani
There are also many species of extinct tapir that lived in North and South America, Europe and Asia, in some cases until a little over 10,000 years ago.