Tapirs, also known as "mountain cows" in some regions, have a rich history and unique characteristics. There are significantly more extinct tapir species than there are living ones, with the current count of living tapir species being approximately four, although this is somewhat debated. Their closest living relatives are rhinos. The name "tapir" comes from the language of indigenous people of Brazil, meaning "thick," in reference to the tapir's thick skin, much like a rhino's. When tapirs were first named, they were compared to another thick-skinned animal, the hippopotamus. In Spanish, tapirs are known as "anteburros."
Believe it or not, there were once Californian tapirs a little more than 10,000 years ago. They lived in Southern California and are believed to have wallowed in mud like modern-day tapirs. Although this may lead one to believe they're somewhat related to pigs, this is untrue. Fossil evidence suggests that North America is where their lineage began, and over time, they traveled from North America to other continents such as Asia and South America.
Tapirs have some fascinating anatomy. Male tapirs are quite well endowed when it comes to certain reproductive organs, reaching upwards to 60 percent of their body length. A tapir's penis is prehensile and capable of grabbing the female while mating. The mountain tapir, both the smallest and most threatened of the four remaining tapir species, got its scientific name from a mythical animal believed to be somewhat elephant-shaped and lived in the same region as the mountain tapir.
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A group of tapirs is called a "candle," likely due to wordplay. The word "taper," another pronunciation of the animal's name, means "to gradually come to a point," but it also refers to a slender type of candle.
