The Life of Animals | South American Tapir | It is dark brown in color, paler in the face, and has a low, erect crest running from the crown down the back of the neck. The round, dark ears have distinctive white edges. The South American Tapir can attain a body length of 1.8 to 2.5 m (5.9 to 8.2 ft) with a 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) Stubby short tail and an average weight around 225 kg (500 lb). Lowland Tapirs are excellent swimmers and divers but also Move Quickly on land, even over rugged, mountainous terrain.
The South American Tapir is Generally Recognized as an endangered animal species, with the species being designated as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on June 2, 1970. The South American Tapir, however, had a significantly lower risk of extinction than the other three tapir species.
