Tapirs

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the physical characteristics of tapirs.

• Students will be able to identify the behavioral characteristics of tapirs.

• Students will be able to explain how tapirs are organized into groups and how they defend themselves.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension worksheet passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Tapirs are mammals that look something like pigs though they are most closely related to horses and rhinoceroses. There are four kinds of tapirs: Baird's Tapirs, Malayan Tapirs, Mountain Tapirs and Brazilian Tapirs. These animals are native to Central and South America and Southeast Asia. They are about seven feet long and about three feet tall at the shoulder. Tapirs weigh anywhere from 330 to 700 pounds.

Tapirs have short snouts, called prehensile snouts, which can move in all directions. This allows them to easily grab shrubs and leaves when they are grazing. Tapirs also eat berries and other fruits and are said to love bananas. They spend many hours each day looking for food. Tapirs do most of their foraging (searching for food) at night or in the early morning hours before the sun comes up.

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