Ungulate animals: classification and structural features

A horse, a rhinoceros, a hippopotamus, a giraffe, a deer ... What do you think that unites these representatives of the fauna? All these animals are ungulates. In this article we will find out the basics of classification and features of the structure of these representatives of the class Mammals.

Ungulate animals: general features

The toes of this group of animals are covered with horny formations - hoofs. This is what determines their name. The basis of the diet of ungulates is plant food. In this regard, they have well developed molars with a folded surface and incisors. They serve to grind food. The ability to run fast, leaning on the fingers, is another sign that characterizes these animals. Ungulates also have a special structure of the upper extremity belt - they do not have collarbones.

Troop Dapidate

Representatives of this group are quite diverse animals. Ungulates are united in two orders. In the first few fingers on the limb is equal to one or three. They are representatives of the Detachment of the Ungerned. Modern taxonomy consists of 16 species of such animals. The most common of these are the zebra, horse, kulan, donkey, rhinoceros. Their stomach has a simple structure, so in the digestion of plant foods involved take the bacteria that live in the large intestine.

Non-knot Artiodactyls

Representatives of the group of Artiodactyla differ in the structure of the digestive system. Pigs and hippopotamuses are non-ruminants. They are distinguished by a massive body and relatively short limbs, on which there are four fingers. Their digestive system has a standard structure for mammalian representatives. Stomach simple, not differentiated into departments.

Representatives of non-ruminants are widely known. For example, a large ungulate animal is a wild boar, or a pig. It is easy to recognize by an elongated muzzle with a bare "pentacle" around the nostrils. With its help, the animal digs the earth, extracting food. The wild boar lives mainly in oak and beech moist forests, thick bushes.

Another vivid example of non-ruminant ungulate animals is the hippopotamus, or hippopotamus. This is a real giant, whose weight reaches more than three tons. His thick skin needs constant moisturizing. Therefore, hippos lead a semi-aquatic life. They are common in the tropical part of East and Central Africa. However, as a result of poaching extermination, they can often be found in protected areas.

Ruminant Artiodactyls

They are also ungulate animals, but their distinctive feature is the special structure of the digestive system. Thus, with the help of sharp cutters, edible parts of plants are cut off. Chemical treatment is carried out by saliva, and further mechanical grinding - by flat molars.

The ruminant's stomach consists of four specialized departments. The first, and the most voluminous of them, is called the scar. It is an enzymatic processing of food. These substances are contained in saliva and are distinguished by special types of symbiotic bacteria that live in the stomach.

Further, the food enters the net, and the animals regurgitate it again into the mouth. Here, the chewing gum is formed. It is again moistened with saliva, chewed, and then sent to the third department of the stomach - a book.

This part is called so not by chance. Its walls have folds, which really visually resemble the pages of the book. Hence, partially digested food enters the last department, which is called "abomasum", where it is finally broken down by the action of gastric juice. To ruminants include giraffes, bulls, moose, goats, roe deer, bison, deer.

Ungulates a domestic animal in a person's economic activity

Many species of ungulates are of great economic importance. The most vivid example of this is the almost universal development of pig production. The man began to breed this animal before BC. E. In the period of the primitive communal layer. This direction has become widespread due to high rates of productivity, energy value, and unpretentiousness to climatic conditions. Pig breeding is the leading industry in the livestock sector in China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, Ukraine.

"Drink, children, milk - you will be healthy!" These are well-known to everyone from childhood remembers each of us. A cow is another large ungulate domestic animal that a person widely uses in his economic activities. Her breeding is done to get not only meat and milk, but also valuable skin. Man began to domesticate cows in the Neolithic age, but still in some countries they are considered sacred animals. The world leaders in beef production are the USA, Brazil, China, Argentina, Russia.

So, ungulates are called animals, whose fingers are protected by dense horn formations. All of them are representatives of the class Mammals. Depending on the number of fingers on the limbs are distinguished unpaired - and artiodactyls.