Habitat
Rainforest and wetlands
Amazon Heroes collection
Tapir
Scientific name: Tapirus terrestris
Try this
Mini mission: compare a tapir's snout to other animals with trunks or long noses.
Diet
Plant-eater -- leaves, fruit, and aquatic plants.
Ecosystem role
Often described as a 'gardener of the forest' because it spreads seeds widely through its droppings.
Fun fact
Tapirs have a short, flexible snout, a bit like a small trunk.
Where it lives
- Continent
- Americas
- Region
- Found across most of South America east of the Andes, from Colombia and Venezuela down to northern Argentina -- the Amazon is a major stronghold, not its whole range.
- Environment
- Rainforest and wetlands
Did you know?
- When tapirs swim or dive to escape danger, they can use their flexible snout like a snorkel.
- The South American tapir is the largest native land mammal in the Amazon rainforest.
Test what you learned
What is the tapir sometimes called, because of seed spreading?
What do tapirs mainly eat?
How does a tapir sometimes escape danger near the water?
