Tapirus terrestris
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English: Lowland tapir
German: Flachlandtapir
French: Tapir terreste
Spanish: Tapir terresta
Distribution areas
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The downland tapir is found in southern
and eastern areas of South America.
Description of the fur
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The skins are up to 2 m long. The hair
coat is dark grey-brown in colour. The The surface structure
fibres are straight and coarse. The of the skin, 30x
undercoat layer is not visible. On the neck
is a mane.
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Tapirus terrestris
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English: Lowland tapir
German: Flachlandtapir
French: Tapir terreste
Spanish: Tapir terresta
Structure of the hair
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The microscopic structure of the skin
surface appears smooth. The hair follicles
are narrow with straight edges and are
single-haired.
The fine fur fibres are 14 to 18 µm in
diameter and are circular in cross-section. The cuticular structure
The cuticular scales are cornet-like with a of the fine fibres, 2000x
non-regular grooved surface and straight,
or crenated scale margins. These fibres are
non-medullated.
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Tapirus terrestris
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English: Lowland tapir
German: Flachlandtapir
French: Tapir terreste
Spanish: Tapir terresta
The intermediate fibres are 30 to 60 µm
in diameter and the cuticle is even
tile-like or crenated tile-like and the
scale surface is smooth. The margins of the
scales are straight in the lower part, and
crenated in upper part, of the shaft. The
medullary column is wide, unbroken and
central symmetrical-shaped in cross-section.
This medulla is of the lattice type with the The cuticular structure
sheet-like detailed structure of the of the fine fibres, 2000x
infilling material.
The guard hairs are elliptical in cross-section and the diameter is in the
range of 60 to 130 µm. The cuticular scales are even tile-like and crenated
tile-like with a smooth surface and straight, in the upper parts of the shaft
also crenated, scale margins. The medulla is wide, unbroken and central
symmetrical-shaped in cross-section. The overall medullary structure is of
the lattice type and the infilling substance is of the sheet-like detailed
structure.
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Tapirus terrestris
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English: Lowland tapir
German: Flachlandtapir
French: Tapir terreste
Spanish: Tapir terresta
The cuticular structure
of an intermediate hair, 1000x
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Tapirus terrestris
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English: Lowland tapir
German: Flachlandtapir
French: Tapir terreste
Spanish: Tapir terresta
Transverse section
of an intermediate fibre, 1000x
Numerical code for lowland tapir skin structure
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Surface of the skin: 1-4-1
Fine fur fibres: 1-5-3-1.2-4-0-0-0-0-14.18-6.11
Intermediate fibres: 1.2-2.4-1-1.2-2-1-1-8-1-30.61-10.18
Guard hairs: 2-2.4-1-1.2-2-1-1-8-1-60.131-15.25
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