Ten Quick Facts About a Tapir
1. A tapir has roamed the earth for over 20 million years. 2. Tapirs are related to horses and rhinoceroses (perissodactyl). 3. A tapir has fourteen toes. Four on each front foot, and three on its back. 4. Tapirs have a highly flexible nose called a proboscis, which moves and has the same purpose as a hand. Perfect for reaching those high branches. 5. The tapius bairdii weighs up to 700 pounds. 6. The numbers of tapirs are dropping dramatically, as humans are destroying their natural habitat for their own personal use. 7. The proboscis of a tapir can be used as a snorkel. 8. Tapirs can now only be found in South and Central America, and in South East Asia. 9. Tapirs have a streamline body, which allows them to have great speed and agility. 10. Tapirs are both experts in swimming and climbing, for all those high mountains that they face. |