Tapir
Tapirus spp.
|
Tapir are large, pony-sized, hoofed animals, and are the largest terrestrial mammal in South America. There are three species in the New World with one species in Asia. They have a blackish brown colouration with an elongated downward curving lower lip and a very thick skin. They communicate with a whistling sound, which is often mimicked by hunters who attract and shoot them for meat. When surprised, they can stamp their feet and if necessary rapidly run into water, flattening everything in their path. They are solitary animals but non-territorial. Despite a bulky body, they can successfully negotiate tricky terrain and can traverse practically vertical slippery hills.
