Facts about Tapir

1. 05

   Young tapirs are born with spotted and striped coats that provide camouflage, fading to adult coloration within the first year of life.

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2. 04

   Four living tapir species exist: three native to Central and South America and one, the Malayan tapir, found in Southeast Asia.

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3. 03

   Despite their bulk, tapirs are strong swimmers and frequently enter rivers and lakes to cool off and escape predators.

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4. 02

   A close relative of horses and rhinoceroses, tapirs belong to the order Perissodactyla, the odd-toed ungulates.

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5. 01

   The tapir's flexible, prehensile nose is an elongated proboscis used to grasp and pull leaves and fruit into its mouth.

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