Activities and enemies of Tapir

Tapir is only active during the nights, its season of activity it wanders forth in search of food, which consists of water-melons, gourds, young shoots of brushwood, but during hot day it is not very particular in its diet. The tapir is also a great swimmer or diver. It is great deal in rivers and feeds on aquatic plants or wallows in mud to rid itself of parasites. It also can climb river banks and steep mountainsides. Apart from the mating season the tapir is a solitary animal.

Adult tapirs are large enough that they have few natural predators, and the thick skin on the backs of their necks help to protect them. Only occasionally do tapirs demonstrate a threatening gesture. Then their rarely used weapons are exhibited as they pull their lips apart to expose their teeth. Though there teeth are not too frightening in appearance, if a threatening tapir does attack with them, it can seriously injure an opponent. Instances are known where seemingly harmless tapirs suddenly went wild and attacked everything within their their reach with their teeth.

Tapirs occasionally only use to against their natural enemies, such as jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas and tigers. The creatures are able to run fairly quickly, considering their numbers and, more recently, massive habitat loss has resulted in the conversation watch -listing of all four species: both the Brazalian Tapir and the Malayan Tapir are classified as vulnerable: and the Baird's Tapir and the Mountain Tapir are endangered.