144 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 75 



ORDER PERISSODACTYLA 



Family Tapiridae 



Tapirus bairdii 

 Baird's Tapir, Danta 



Baird's tapir {Tapirus bairdii) originally was found from southern Mexico east 

 of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec south throughout Central America to the western 

 slopes of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador to the Gulf of Guayaquil (Fig. 1 12). 

 Tapirs probably were common throughout most of Costa Rica before contact by 

 Europeans. There are no recognized subspecies of Baird's tapir. In Costa Rica, 

 tapirs are found in a wide variety of habitats from sea level to 3,800 m. They seem 

 to require large tracts of primary forest and protection from hunting pressure in 

 order to maintain adequate population levels (Janzen 1983d). Baird's tapir is in- 

 cluded on both the Costa Rican and U.S. listings of rare and endangered species. 

 The biology of tapirs in northwestern Costa Rica was investigated by Williams 

 (1984). 



We observed tapir tracks and droppings at several localities within Parque 

 Nacional Braulio Carrillo, ranging from 100 to 2,000 m in elevation. Tracks were 

 most common in the elevational range from. 1 ,500 to 2,000 m. A single individual 

 was observed at 1,800 m in February 1987. Tapirs were reported by Pringle et al. 

 (1984) from the southern end of the Zona Protectora at 700 m in January 1983. 

 Tapir tracks are seen regularly at La Selva, but the animals are rarely observed; 

 most have been seen near the south end of the property. Slud (1960) implied that 

 tapirs were common there in the late 1950's. 



Fig. 112. Baird's tapir, Tapirus bairdii. Photo by B. L. Clauson. 



