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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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1992-09-02
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15 lines
Mammal of the ancient family Tapiridae, which
grows to a maximum of 1 m/3 ft at the
shoulder, and weighs 350 kg/770 lb. They have
thick, hairy, black skin, short tails and
short trunks. They are vegetarian, harmless,
shy inhabitants of the forests of Central and
South America, and Malaysia. Their survival
is in danger because of destruction of the
forests. Tapirs are related to the
rhinoceros, and slightly more distantly to
the horse. The Malaysian tapir Tapirus
indicus is black with a large white patch on
the back and hindquarters. The South American
species is brown.