Tapir is an animal with a very unusual appearance. Funny animals, somewhat reminiscent of a pig, are rare and poorly studied. Once tapirs were widespread, today the surviving species live in only two places.
Tapirs of Central and South America
Central and South America is inhabited by four types of tapirs. The Central American tapir is widespread, and its range extends from Mexico to Panama. A bizarre boar / anteater hybrid, this large animal has a short gray-brown coat and is the largest mammal in the American tropics. The animal prefers to live in humid forests near water and to be nocturnal, hiding in the thickets during the day.
Mountain tapir is an inhabitant of the dense forests of Ecuador and Colombia. This animal prefers to settle in the Andes, and for protection from ultraviolet radiation it has acquired a thick dark brown or even black coat. The mountain tapir prefers not to descend below 200 meters above sea level. He is predominantly nocturnal, hiding from predators among the trees during the day, and in the dark, going in search of edible leaves and branches.
Plain tapir is the most common member of the family. It inhabits the plains from southern Brazil, northern Argentina and Paraguay to Venezuela and Colombia. Just like the rest of the brethren, he prefers to be active at night and it is at this time that he is looking for food for himself - plants, tree fruits, buds and algae. The back of the plain tapirs is black-brown in color, while the legs are somewhat lighter. In addition, this species has a small mane.
The smallest Tapirus kabomani lives on the shores of the Amazon in Brazil and Colombia. An animal whose body length is "only" 1.3 meters has dark gray or dark brown hair. Despite not the most modest size, this type of tapirs remained unnoticed for a long time. It was opened only at the end of 2013.
Asian tapir
The black-backed tapir lives in the southeast of Asia. Of all his relatives, he has the most memorable appearance. While the offspring of other species are born two-colored, but their color becomes uniform with age, the sexually mature black-backed tapir retains a gray-white spot on the back and sides. Its front part is black or dark brown. The black-backed tapir is found in Thailand, on the island of Sumatra, in Malaysia, and also, presumably, in the southern parts of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. During drought, these tapirs prefer to live in the plains, but in the rainy season they climb the mountains. This species swims well, so it prefers to live in dense forests near water bodies.
