Fact Sheet

• Classified as endangered species
• there closes relatives include horses and rhinos
• They are about 7 feet long and 3 feet high
• weigh about 300 to 700 pounds
• The natural lifespan is 25 to 30 years
• The female give birth to a single youngster after about 13 months
• The females can give birth every two years
• They live solitary lives
• They are able to sink to the bottom of the riverbed and walk across it looking for soft vegetation
• Tapirs are shy and rather avoid human communication unless they feel threaten on rare occasions they will attack

Summary

A tapir is a large browsing mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile snout. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. The four species of tapirs are the Brazilian tapir, the Malayan tapir, Baird’s tapir and the mountain tapir. All four are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses.