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Tapirs belong to the order of artiodactyls and most of all outwardly they resemble pigs. However, the tapirs distinguish one significant distinguishing feature, which is the large trunk used by this beast in order to capture food and sniff around the surrounding area.
Features of appearance and behavior
In fact, the trunk is also the upper lip, although tapirs are somewhat similar to a mixture of elephant and pig, they are far from these families and are distinguished by zoologists in a separate tapir family.
Previously, these animals were quite common, but now have a very narrow habitat, and they live in southeast Asia and South America. They prefer water and humid areas with an abundance of vegetation.
They have three fingers on their hind legs, and their front legs have four. An interesting distinctive feature of this animal is its thick skin, which helps them to live in the rather harsh conditions of the jungle. By the way, it was thick skin that gave the name to this beast, since tapir is translated as thick in the dialect of the Brazilian aborigines, here they used the indication of thick skin
Tapirs live mostly near water bodies, as they love to swim. Most of the time they are alone and unite only for the breeding season.
Tapirs are quite demanding on water quality and prefer only clean ponds. They spend most of their time in bodies of water. In addition to swimming on the surface, they also know how to dive and swim perfectly underwater.
Despite the relatively compact size (up to two meters in length and about 50-70 centimeters in height), tapirs have significant body weight. Adult animals can reach up to 300 kilograms of weight, although younger individuals weigh, of course, less.
Interesting Facts
When tapirs dive under water, they are often stuck with small fish that help these animals get rid of parasites.
The existence of tapirs is full of dangers, since they have a huge number of natural enemies - both on land and in water. In particular, on the land surface, tapirs prefer to feast on anacondas, jaguars, tigers, bears, and in water tapir can become prey for a crocodile.
All varieties of tapirs, in addition to mountain species, have a nocturnal existence, that is, during the daytime for the most part they rest and sleep, and at night they collect food and do other things. However, if the tapir feels the danger, he can change his own schedule. For example, mountain tapir may well become a nocturnal animal, if circumstances have it.
Animals have the ability to climb and jump, and such a skill perfectly helps in the space of the jungle. With a sense of danger, they can develop a rather impressive speed and move much more efficiently compared to the usual movement.
They prefer to sleep in puddles or swamps, in general, where it is quite humid and even has the opportunity to swim or at least a little dive into the water.
Tapir Food
In addition to a variety of plants, these animals are actively looking for salt, which for them is considered the main delicacy. Various chalk sources are also preferred.
In the zoos, tapirs are fed various fruits, vegetables and vitamin concentrates. Most of all they prefer melons, mangoes and sugarcane. In the wild, they often come across various agricultural plantations that are quite actively cultivated, for example, they can eat and trample a whole field of chocolate tree.
In general, free tapirs have a rather diverse menu, which consists of more than hundreds of varieties of different plants. They can eat a variety of parts of plants, ranging from buds and twigs, and ending with roots.
Varieties of tapirs
Tapirs are rather clumsy, and this fact is caused, among other things, by rather poor eyesight, but at the same time they are highly stable. They move smoothly, and swaying slightly. The color is mostly black and brown, but there is an interesting feature at a young age. Little tapirs have beautiful whitish stripes all over their bodies.
- Mountain tapirs. This variety is the smallest - it is individuals of black-brown color, which this color helps to cope with active exposure to direct rays. This variety reaches a length of up to 1.8 meters and a weight of up to 180 kilograms.
- Black tapir. They are the most dimensional variety, and can weigh more than 300 kilograms. Coloring is characterized by the presence of the rear half of gray, which is replaced by the dark color of the front of the body.
- Plain tapir. The average variety weighs up to 270 kilograms and a length of about 220 centimeters. A distinctive feature is the withers, which is located on the back of the head. Color - black-brown, gray.
- Central American. A peculiar continuation of the previous variety. Virtually no different than the size and darker color. Such tapirs are still preserved on the planet. At the same time, there are 13 varieties that have died out under the influence of human actions and changes in natural factors.
Tapirs are superbly tamed, which is why they are conveniently kept in zoos and even as pets. They are very friendly and enjoy contact with people, actively sniff and enjoy brushing their hair. At the same time, for home maintenance, of course, special conditions will be required, in particular, a clean pond.
The impact of people on tapirs
The most dangerous enemy for these animals is a person who, unlike predators, does not know how to moderate his own appetites and conducts the continuous production of these animals. Although tapirs do not possess anything special other than fairly tender meat, they are quite rare - and that is the value.
In addition to hunting itself, tapirs also suffer from deforestation, which leads to a decrease and deterioration in the quality of their habitat, in particular, deforestation affects the nutritional buzu of these animals, and also affects the normal reproduction and rearing of offspring.
At this time, these animals are listed in the world Red Book. They remained on the planet in a rather limited amount and need protection.
Reproduction and development
Quite often, tapirs mate in water, and almost always the mating initiator is a female. The tapirs lack any obvious mating periods, and they can mate throughout the year without restriction when they like.
As a rule, pairing is preceded by rather funny and interesting mating games, during which the male can rush after his chosen one for a long period of time in order to gain favor.
Animals change their partners annually, but the female does not mate every year, since the process of gestation takes quite a lot of time. Pregnancy lasts up to 13-14 months, after which the baby is born in a single copy, which the female prefers to give birth alone.
In the early days of the development of the baby, the female takes refuge with him in the territory with abundant vegetation, in dense shrubs. After 2-3 weeks, they gradually get out of there, and the baby in addition to milk begins to eat plant foods.
As mentioned earlier, babies have a color with spots and stripes. This element is related to the need for additional camouflage. Thanks to this pattern in the thickets, small tapirchiki are less noticeable.
Maturity occurs at different ages. Some reach the stage of maturation by one and a half years, while others wait until this 3-4 years. One way or another, almost all tapirs live on average about 30 years, and this duration practically does not change with changing living conditions.
Video: Tapir (Tapirus)
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