Tapir – the animal having very unusual appearance. The amusing small animals resembling a pig are rare and studied poorly. Once tapirs were widespread, the types which today remained live only in two places.
Tapirs of Central and South America
Central and South America is inhabited by four species of tapirs. The Central American tapir whose area of dwelling stretches from Mexico to Panama is widespread. This large small animal reminding a fancy hybrid of a boar and anteater possesses short gray-brown wool and is the largest mammal of the American tropics. The animal prefers to live in damp forests near water and to lead a nocturnalism, disappearing in the afternoon in thickets.Mountain tapir – the inhabitant of the dense woods of Ecuador and Colombia. This animal prefers to lodge in the Andes, and for protection against ultraviolet got dense dark brown or even black wool. The mountain tapir prefers not to go down lower than 200 meters above sea level. He mainly leads a nocturnalism, disappearing from predators among trees in the afternoon, and in night-time moving off in searches of edible leaves and branches. A flat tapir – the most widespread representative of family. He inhabits plains from the South of Brazil, the North of Argentina and Paraguay to Venezuela and Colombia. As well as other fellows, prefers to be active at night and at this particular time looks for a forage – plants, fruits of trees, kidneys and seaweed. The back at flat tapirs of black-brown color, a leg – is slightly lighter. Besides, this look possesses a small mane. On coast of Amazon in the territory of Brazil and Colombia the smallest Tapirus kabomani lives. The animal which length of a body is "only" 1.3 meters possesses dark gray or dark brown wool. Despite not the most modest sizes, this species of tapirs long time remained unnoticed. It was opened only at the end of 2013.
Asian tapir
In the southeast of Asia there lives a cheprachny tapir. From all the relatives it has the most memorable appearance. While cubs of other types are born two-color, but with age their color becomes uniform, the mature cheprachny tapir keeps a gray-white spot on a back and sides. Its front part of black or dark-brown color. The Cheprachny tapir lives in Thailand, on the island of Sumatra, in Malaysia and also, presumably, in the southern parts of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. During a drought these tapirs prefer to live on plains, but during a rainy season rise to mountains. This look perfectly floats therefore prefers to live in dense forests near reservoirs.