midday
Here it will remain couched and asleep during the greater part of the day . At nightfall , it steals forth , and following an old and well-used path , it approaches the bank of some river , and plunging in , swims off in search of its food -- the roots and stems of several species of water-plants . In this business it occupies most of the hours of darkness ; but at daybreak , it swims back to the place where it entered the water , and going out , takes the ` backtrack ' to its lair , where it sleeps until sunset again warns it forth . `` Sometimes during rain , it leaves its den even at midday . On such occasions , it proceeds to the river or the adjacent swamp , where it delights to wallow in the mud , after the manner of hogs , and often for hours together . Unlike the hog , however , the tapir is a cleanly animal . After wallowing , it never returns to its den until it has first plunged into the clear water , and washed the mud thoroughly from its skin .