They are related to the rhinoceros , and slightly more distantly to the horse. The Malaysian tapir T. indicus is black with a large white patch on the back and hindquarters. Baird's tapir T. bairdii is rare and found only in Central America. It is mainly solitary except when breeding. The gestation period is 13 months and the single young remains with the mother for 18 months.
Mountain tapirs are strong swimmers.