Mountain tapir  (Tapirus pinchaque)

The mountain tapir is a 'living fossil' (5); the smallest (6) of four surviving species of tapir that represent the remnants of a lineage that evolved around 55 million years ago, after the demise of the dinosaurs (5). The mountain tapir is also known as the 'woolly tapir' due to its thick, woolly reddish-brown to black fur (5). The tips of the ears are white and some tapirs have a whitish band between the feet and hooves (7). The lips and nose are drawn into a prehensile proboscis, a feature shared by all living tapirs (5). Infants under one year of age are reddish-brown in colour with a series of white stripes and spots (5). Females tend to be slightly larger than males, but are otherwise very similar in appearance (3).