The tapir’s round body and short legs make it well-adapted to living in dense rainforests where it can easily squeeze through dense vegetation. It is a good swimmer and likes the water. One way of marking out its territory is to deposit excrement in the water, which distributes its markings far and wide.

The tapirs have a short proboscis and a keen sense of smell for finding food, seeking out members of the same species and detecting whether a predator is nearby. They like to be in the water where they are well protected from enemies such as pumas and jaguars.