South American tapir
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Tapirus terrestris
Long, flexible nose
The trunklike snout is used for delicately plucking leaves and sprouts from foliage.
Odd toes
Although tapirs look like pigs, they are more closely related to rhinos and horses -- the proof is in the number of toes
Habitat/Range
Rivers, streams, and swamps of South American rainforests
Wild Diet
Leaves, Buds, Fruits, Grasses, Aquatic plants
Predators
Jaguars and Humans
Reproduction
A single calf, born with a striped pattern, remains with its mother for at least one year. Mature tapirs are solitary.
Conservation
THREATENED
Threatened due to habitat destruction and hunting by humans.
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