8.4K views · 181 reactions | What’s a tapir? This shy species is the...

Tapirs love to dive into the water, where they’ll use their snout as a snorkel. There, they can evade jaguars, eat aquatic plants and wash off ticks. From Brazil Untamed | Smithsonian Channel

The South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), is the largest and heaviest land mammal in the Amazon rainforest, reaching up to 250 kilograms. With its flexible snout and herbivorous diet, it roams long distances feeding on leaves, shoots, and fruits, dispersing thousands of seeds that give life to new trees. Jaguars, caimans, and anacondas are among its main predators. When threatened, its instinct leads it to seek refuge in the water, where it reveals itself as a surprisingly skilled swimmer.