South american tapir

The lowland tapir represents the larger of the three South American tapir representatives and reaches a head-body length of 205 (male animals) up to 220 cm (female animals), the tail being only a stub of 8 centimeters in length. It reaches a shoulder height of 77 to 108 cm. The weight varies between 150 and 250 kg, female animals are usually 25 to 100 kg heavier than the males. The skin is very thick, especially on the neck, and is covered with black-brown fur on the back, which takes on a rather dark brown tint on the chest, abdomen and legs. In addition, a clear mane is formed on the neck. The white edges on the ears are also typical. On the face it almost looks as if it was drawn afterwards, the fur colors reinforce the characteristic head of this animal. The fur on the throat and cheeks is sometimes, but not always, white. The physique is similar to that of the other tapirs, the main characteristic is the strongly arched head and the very flexible, trunk-like nose, which is connected to the upper lip. The build looks squat, but is very muscular. The legs are stocky and short. The front legs of the flatland tapir, like all tapirs, end in four toes, the rear legs in only three. The toes are covered with hooves and spread apart when walking, which prevents them from sinking into soft ground. The eyes are relatively small and on the side of the head.