Where does the South American tapir live?
The South American tapir lives near water in the Amazon rainforest and River Basin in South America, east of the Andes. Its range stretches from Venezuela, Colombia and the Guianas in the north to Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay in the south, and to Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador in the west. It is the largest surviving native land mammal in the Amazon. In France, it is found in the wild only in French Guiana, where it is also called maïpouri.
What does the South American tapir eat?
The tapir is a herbivore. Using its mobile nose, it feeds on leaves, buds, shoots and small branches it tears from trees, but also on fruit, grasses and aquatic plants. It also feeds on the vast majority of seeds found in the rainforest. This is known from observation of its browsing, analysis of its faeces and study of its stomach contents.
Is the South American tapir endangered?
Yes: the IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. It is the only tapir species classified as "vulnerable" rather than "endangered". It usually weighs 150 to 250 kg, sometimes up to 300 kg, and stands 77 to 108 cm at the shoulder, about 2 m long.
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