Tapirs
Tapirs live in swamps, grasslands, forests and mountains. There are four types of tapirs: Baird's tapir, Lowland tapir, Mountain tapir and Malayan tapir. Tapirs weigh from 500-700 pounds and can reach 29-42cm height at shoulders. Closest relatives of tapirs are horses and rhinos. Tapirs have 4 toes on their front feet and 3 toes on their back feet. Tapirs are herbivorous. They eat leaves and fruit twice a day. Tapirs use their trunks to grab leaves from the nearby branches, pick up the fruit from the ground or to find aquatic plant on the bottom of the water. Group of tapirs is called a "candle". Tapirs can spend few minutes under the water. They can use their snouts as snorkels if they need to hide under the water longer period of time (in the case of danger). Jaguars, tigers, crocodile and anacondas hunt tapirs.
After 13 months of pregnancy, one calf will be born. As long as mother produces milk, young tapir will feed off it. Young tapirs have specific yellow and white stripes and spots on the reddish-brown fur which provide excellent camouflage. After few months (when they lose these marks), they look like miniature version of adult animal. Tapirs live 25-30 years in the wild.
Tapirs live in swamps, grasslands, forests and mountains. There are four types of tapirs: Baird's tapir, Lowland tapir, Mountain tapir and Malayan tapir. Tapirs weigh from 500-700 pounds and can reach 29-42cm height at shoulders. Closest relatives of tapirs are horses and rhinos. Tapirs have 4 toes on their front feet and 3 toes on their back feet. Tapirs are herbivorous. They eat leaves and fruit twice a day. Tapirs use their trunks to grab leaves from the nearby branches, pick up the fruit from the ground or to find aquatic plant on the bottom of the water. Group of tapirs is called a "candle". Tapirs can spend few minutes under the water. They can use their snouts as snorkels if they need to hide under the water longer period of time (in the case of danger). Jaguars, tigers, crocodile and anacondas hunt tapirs.
After 13 months of pregnancy, one calf will be born. As long as mother produces milk, young tapir will feed off it. Young tapirs have specific yellow and white stripes and spots on the reddish-brown fur which provide excellent camouflage. After few months (when they lose these marks), they look like miniature version of adult animal. Tapirs live 25-30 years in the wild.