A Tapir Page A Tapir Page tapir , a nocturnal, herbivorous ungulate animal of the jungles of Central and South American and Southeast Asia.
Tapirs have a thick skin and a long, flexible snout.
Adults are about 3 feet high and 6 or 8 feet long. The tapir seldom travels far from water and plunges in when pursued. Its flesh is palatable. They have a heavy, sparsely hairy body, a snout prolonged into a short mobile proboscis, a rudimentary tail, stout legs, and four front and three hind toes. They are chiefly nocturnal, shy, and gentle, and frequent heavy forests in the vicinity of water.