The tapir’s nose and upper lip combine into a flexible snout like an elephant’s trunk. It can be used as a snorkel when the animal is underwater and as an effective tool to detect odors wafting through the dense forest. This prehensile mini-trunk (by elephant standards!) is used to grab branches and strip off the leaves or to help pluck fruit and put it directly in the tapir’s mouth. It also adds an air of mystery to the tapir—at first glance, it’s hard to tell just what this creature is! (photo: Debbie Beals)
(via moreanimalia)
Source: sdzoo
