242 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



No. XXII.— NOTE ON THE MALAY TAPIR (TAPIRUS INDICUS) 



IN CAPTIVITY. 



( With an Illustration.) 

 Local native name, " Pan dukkar " (Anglice, Leaf -eating Hog). 



The Tapir is perissodactyle and has relationship with the rhinoceros. The 

 only parts of the world in which it is to be found are South and Central 

 America and the Malay Peninsula. The Malay is differentiated from the 

 American species by its colour, size and habits. 



There are two Malay tapirs (male and female), in the Kolhapur collection, 

 where they have been for the last 2^ years thriving successfully. The female 

 is larger than the male, as the following measurements will show. 



Male, height 3 ft. 1 in. at withers, 3 ft. 3 in. at back, length 7 ft. 5 in. 

 Female, „ 3 „ 3 „ „ „ 3 „ 5 „ „ „ „ 7 „ 9 „ 



Unlike the American species, which is of a monochrome of dark brown or 

 black, the Malay tapir is particoloured. The head and up to the withers, 

 front legs to back of shoulders and under chest, hind legs and as far as and 

 including ramp and arms, black ; the saddle from back of withers to end of 

 spine and round and under the belly, grey. A sharp line defines the parti- 

 colouring and there is a thin grey line round the top of the ovate erect ears.. 

 The eye is small and of a greyish green colour, the tail a mere rudimentary 

 stump about one inch long. 



The feet have typically perissodactyl arrangement of toes, the fore have five 

 case of which one is rudimentary, and the third is considerably longer than the 

 others, the hind have but three toes of which the middle is the longest. 



Both jaws of both sexes are furnished with a full set of incisors, tusks and 

 molars. The canine teeth, which are very marked, are separated by a con- 

 siderable interval from the molar series which are all in contact, with quadrate 

 crowns. 



The nose and upper lip are elongated into a flexible mobile snout with 

 nostrils situated at the end. The skin is thick and scantily covered with hair. 



The period of gestation for the female is 9 months, at the end of which 

 period she seeks an isolated spot, makes a shallow excavation with her 

 feet, and brings forth her young. The Kolhapur pair have only bred once, and 

 on that occasion the female produced but one. The little one, at birth, weighs 

 about 6 lbs., it is covered with longish hair of a dark red brown colour with 

 white oblong spots in longitudinal rows on the body, and round shaped and 

 promiscuously scattered on the legs and face. 



The Malay tapir, unlike its American cousin which is stated to be nocturnal,, 

 shy and fond of shady places, sleeps through the night and wanders about 

 all day, passing much of its time in the water in which it sports and dives and 

 seems happiest. 



The female is always rather aggressive towards the male, but not towards 

 other animals or man, both are of a heavy bovine nature and allow themselves 

 to be handled and driven about. They have the habit of very carefully and 



