10 Tip Top Tapir Facts

Believe it or not, it’s World Tapir Day.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, here are 10 tip top tapir facts that you may not already know…

1. A group of tapirs is called a ‘candle’.

2. The average lifespan of a tapir is 25 to 30 years.

3. Known as the prehensile, a tapir’s nose is used to pick up leaves; it also comes in handy as a snorkel while swimming.

4. A tapir’s gestational period is longer than a human’s and lasts for a whole 13 months.

5. The closest living relatives to tapirs are horses and rhinos.

6. Tapirs have 4 toes on their front feet and 3 toes on their back feet.

7. These clever mammals are excellent swimmers and can dive down deep underwater to feed on aquatic plants.

8. If stood on its haunches, the average tapir is around 6 feet in length.

9. There are four different species of tapir: highland, lowland, mountain and Malayan.

10. It’s sad to say, but the tapir is an endangered animal and all tapir populations are in decline. If you’d like to help ensure a bright future for these wonderful mammals, you can adopt a tapir with Paradise Wildlife Park – it even includes two entry tickets to the park, so you can pay him or her a visit.

We hope you enjoyed our tip top tapir facts and for more animal fun, check out our interview with pooch Dog Spa.

Images: schmeeve and gillyan9 via Flickr