The Evolution of a Tapir

Tapirs are an endangered species. I chose to focus on a South American Tapir, which lives in the Amazon Rainforest. South American Tapirs are both prey animals and herbivores. They use their mobile ears to hear the slightest of movements, helping them to escape before their predators see them. They have flat teeth which helps them to eat seeds, berries, and non-aquatic and aquatic plants. As South American Tapirs’ habitat changed into a savanna, they did too. They evolved into a Humpback Tapir, which are known for their irregular hump which stores fat for when food is scarce. This fat contains nutrients, which can be turned into water for the dry months. They have transitioned from herbivores to omnivores. They eat plants, which they pull from the ground with their long trunks, for the water that they supply them with and small animals like meerkats for protein.