|
Tapir (Tapirus tapirus)
|
Height:
Weight:
Gestation:
Litter size:
|
Up to 6 ft.
Up to 600 lb.
13 months
1
|
Status:
People today still hunt tapirs for their thick hide and flesh. This and cutting down of the rainforest has brought the tapir nearly to extinction.
|
|
Report by Jesse
Picture of a Tapir
Picture from ZooNet
|
|
Physical Characteristics
Tapirs have short feet but this doesn't interfere with the Tapirs swimming ability they are excellent swimmers. Tapirs have a heavy body and a very thick neck. The Tapirs has a short nose that acts as a trunk, it is very bendable. Tapirs are fairly large animals and can reach up to 6 feet and 600 pounds. Tapirs have 4 toes on their feet in the front and 3 toes in the back. They also have a very short tail.
Daily Life, Habitat and Feeding
Tapirs live in the forests usually near the water. They are herbivores and eat only plants. You will usually catch them eating twigs from the trees, shrubs, fruits and other vegetables. Tapirs take mud baths just like other animals to keep them cool throughout the rainforest. Mud baths also get parasites off of the Tapirs.
Reproduction and Young
Breeding happens any time throughout the year. After about 13 months a single young is born. The young have yellow stripes and have a dark brown background. After the young tapir is a few months old the stripes then go away. After a year it has a black and white coat just like any other tapir. After eight months is done the baby tapir leaves its mother and father and is off on its own.
|
