Mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque).
Image: desertnaturalist, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2016 global assessment of Tapirus pinchaque says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The mountain tapir is the smallest tapir and the only one adapted to high mountains, with a thick woolly coat. It is assessed as Endangered.
It lives in cold Andean cloud forest and paramo.
Range & habitat
High Andean cloud forests and paramo of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Habitat loss to agriculture
- Hunting
- A fragmented range
Why it matters
A high-altitude seed disperser of the Andes, the mountain tapir is a flagship for conserving cloud forest and paramo watersheds.
Gallery
Mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque).
Image: desertnaturalist, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Mountain Tapir
- IUCN Red List — look up Mountain Tapir (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the mountain tapir adapted to the cold?
Unlike its lowland relatives, it has a thick, woolly coat that lets it live in cold high-Andean cloud forest and paramo grassland.
Why is the mountain tapir Endangered?
Published assessments cite habitat loss to agriculture, hunting, and a fragmented range. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.