Argentina has every environment that you can imagine. From very dry desert to humid jungles. The country is full of micro-environments that are just perfect for different wild creatures.
This week, I visited the Yungas jungle. Carefully stepping through the damp leaves of the Yungas jungle, you will hear birds singing from every direction. You will notice the dark shadows of eagles flying above you, just out of reach. Between the vines and moss-covered rocks, you may find wild blackberries and wildflowers that are bright orange and purple. You will hear the sound of dripping water from leaves and the trickling of freshwater streamw. The air is thick and heavy, cloaking you with droplets of dew. This wild place is home to one of the strangest animals I have ever seen: The tapir.
The tapir pronounced (tay-peer) is one of the strangest and oldest mammals living today. There are only four different species living on Earth today.
With thick fur like a horse, tapir babies are brilliantly patterned. They have a long crest of spiked hair like a horse, usually a dark brown, like melted chocolate. Often, they have a base of dark or light brown fur that covers their entire body, topped with white stripes and dots. Like deer, they grow out of this pattern as they get older. This pattern makes them some of the cutest babies in the animal kingdom!
