Category: Mammals
The Brazilian, or South American, tapir is one of five species in the tapir family. They are large mammals– adults can weigh between 330 and 710 pounds. They prefer to live near water, and are found in the Amazon Rainforest and Amazon Basin, east of the Andes. They are an herbivore that feeds on leaves, buds, shoots, small branches, fruit, grasses, and aquatic plants.
The age-defying Brandt’s bat
In most mammals, larger size correlates with longer lifespan, but that is not the case with the Brandt’s bat, who can live up to 41 years and weigh less than 0.28 ounces! These bats resemble larger, longer-lived mammals in that they mature slowly and have fewer offspring – but the size difference is dramatic: a female Bonobo lives for approximately 40 years as well, but she outweighs the Brandt’s bat by a factor of 3,771! Oddly enough, it is suspected that the mutated gene that causes the bat’s dwarfish size is the same one that leads to its long lifespan. Studying animals with unusual longevity like the Brandt’s bat does more than just satisfy our curiosity, it could lead to longer, healthier lifespans for humans and other animals!
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
