Relationship between the tapirs

3 years ago
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Relationship between the tapirs. Tapir – a relic of the beast
Over the past thirty million years, the appearance of the tapir has not changed much, and today it is very similar to the ancient ancestors – its own and horse. In some ways it resembles a rhinoceros, but in some ways it also resembles a horse. The tapir has hooves on three – toed (hind) and four-toed (front) legs-almost equine (similar even in microscopic details). And there are calluses on the legs, below the elbow joint, similar to horse chestnuts. The American tapir has a small mane on its neck. More mobile than a horse, the upper lip is elongated into a small proboscis. Tapirs will be born in the dress in which the ancestors of many animals apparently walked: light intermittent stripes stretch along the dark background of the skin from head to tail. The legs are also painted.
In pre-glacial times, tapirs were found in Europe, North America and China. But now only in South America (three species) and in South Asia (Malaya, Burma, Thailand, Sumatra) – one species survived.
In America, there are three types of tapirs: Mexican (from Southern Mexico, to Ecuador), Brazilian (from Colombia to Paraguay) and mountain, or woolly (Andes of Colombia and Ecuador), The first two have a small standing mane on the neck, like wild horses and donkeys.
Tapirs are still plentiful in the low-lying, swampy forests of South America. Dense thickets, traversed only by the intricate paths of tapirs, hide these timid animals. They are not afraid of big rivers and swim well. But in the water, crocodiles spoil their lives (and predatory fish piraya), and on the shore-jaguars and hunters from Indian tribes.
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