The Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), also known as the Central American tapir, is a species of tapir native to Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. It is the largest of the three species of tapir native to the Americas, as well as the largest native land mammal in both Central and South America. Baird’s tapirs are large, long-nosed mammals that may look like they’re relatives of elephants, but they're actually closer kin to horses, donkeys, zebras, and rhinoceroses. Baird’s tapirs are the largest animals native to Central America. They are slightly smaller, however, than their South American cousins, the lowland tapirs. Like all tapirs, this species has a prominent proboscis, or tube-like nose. It's made up of soft tissues, which makes the organ extremely flexible and allows it to be used to snatch leaves and stems that would otherwise be out of reach.
In Belize, where the Baird’s tapir is the national animal, the species is known as the “mountain cow.” This nickname, however, might not reflect just how agile these creatures can be. Baird’s tapirs move swiftly across the land, can swim well in streams and rivers, and have no trouble hoofing it up steep slopes. When disturbed or frightened, Baird’s tapirs often head for the safety of water. Baird’s tapirs inhabit forests and wetlands from Mexico to Colombia. These herbivores are rather adaptable, able to survive in disturbed forests, grasslands, and even rugged mountains. This species eats more than 200 kinds of plants, including twigs, stems, leaves, and even aquatic vegetation. While their proboscis makes accessing higher foods easier, Baird’s tapirs will also sometimes snap small saplings in half so they can devour their leafy boughs. Fruits and seeds make up another important part of this species’ diet. In fact, tapirs play a critical role as seed dispersers, because of the way they eat seeds, and then as they travel across long distances, drop those seeds in new areas through their feces. This helps forests re-seed themselves, increases plant diversity, and has even led to yet another nickname for the species—“gardeners of the forest.”
