TAPIR FACTS: Tapir, better known as "fanged pig", or "murderer of the arctic", is a carnivorous species found mainly in the northernmost regions of North America and Asia. Having no natural predators, it's diet consists primarily of seals and other smaller animals. Though working together a group of tapirs, or candle, has been known to take down much larger game such as reindeer and elk. Their pig-like appearance often leads to the misconception that the tapir is a mammal, when they're in fact a member of the reptilian family, more closely related to the komodo dragon than the common pig. While a tapir mother may lay between 10-15 eggs per cycle, only 1 in 10 of these will survive to adulthood due to the tapir's vicious and even sometimes cannibalistic nature. The strongest adolescent tapirs will often consume their smaller, weaker siblings while the mother watches on with sympathetic approval. Few Arctic animals have been able to escape the impact of an ever-changing global climate, and the tapir is no exception. Rising ocean tides have proven to be a significant threat to the species. With no natural swimming ability, tapirs have been known to drown in waters no more than six inches in depth.
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