The Tapir

Dear Joshua, Thank you for making the Ballantyne website. I am ten years old. Martin Rattler is my second Ballantyne book to read. I especially enjoyed learning about a rare, endangered animal.

Two types of Tapir

Question: What has 14 hooves, a rubbery snout, and walks underwater?

Answer: A tapir. When Martin Rattler was going towards the sea, he encountered a tapir (Ch. 22). A tapir looks like something between an elephant and a hog but its nose does not have a finger at the end. It is 5-6 feet long and 3-4 feet high. Although ferocious looking it does not like to fight and its hide is so tough that a bullet can hardly pass through. -Your Friend, Joshua K.