COSTA RICA
TAPIR BAIRD
[Tapirus bairdii]. It has short, sparse black hair over a black skin. The hairs are approximately 1-3cm long. Tapirs are stocky animals with short powerful legs that are well suited for rapid movement through thick underbush. In the forest a tapir can run as fast as a human. The tail is short and seems to have no significant purpose other than providing a cover for the anus. The upper lip in elongated into a proboscis; it is flexible, long, and rather extensible. It serves the purpose of shoveling food into the mouth and gathering leaves from places that the tongue and teeth cannot reach. The head has a flat crown and a poorly developed mane. Tapirs have small eyes flush with the side of the head; the ears are oval, erect, and not very mobile. They live in Cordillera Talamanca and Corcovado National Park.
FAUNA OF COSTA RICA
|
