Do you know what a cow, a hippo and a giraffe have in common? Well, all of them are artiodactile mammals. But do you know what it means? They are animals with a torque number. There are more than 220 species of artiodactile distributed around the world. Some have become domestic and others remain only wild. This categorization includes a great variety of animals. We invite you to read this Ecology Verde article to learn What are artiodactile, their characteristics and examples.
What are artiodactile
Artiodactile animals are those who They belong to the artiodactyla order and are characterized by having a torque number of fingers in their limbs. They are distributed throughout the world in Antarctica and Australia, although their presence could occur there due to anthropic introduction.
The fossils of these animals have confirmed their existence 54 million years ago, in the Eocene period, the order currently includes 10 families, 86 genres and More than 220 species. Much of these animals have been domesticated and used for productive purposes by the human being, such as cows, pigs, sheep and flames.
Characteristics of artiodactyls
One of the particularities of artiodactile is that they are Ungulated animalsthat is, they walk supporting only the tip of their fingers. But that is just one of its characteristics, let’s know some others:
- Most are herbivores and terrestrialalthough there are also omnivorous and semi -communication species. In this other post you can read about herbivorous animals: what are and examples.
- They have many glandular areas associated with their social and sexual life.
- The presence of frontal appendices such as OSICONOS, HORNS OR ASTAS. In this other article you can read about animals with horns.
- They have a paraxonic condition: the 3rd and 4th finger are well developed and the symmetry axis passes through them. Also, the 1st finger is absent and the 2nd and 5th are reduced or absent.
- In general, the fingers are covered by keratin that forms a hoof.
- The majority are from gregarious habits. Here we explain gregarism: what is, examples and characteristics.
- The stomach can be simple or with three or four cameras, be ruminants or non -ruminants.
- The upper incisors are usually absent or reduced.
Here you can learn more about the ugulated animals: what are, examples and characteristics.
Classification of artiodactile animals
At present, the artiodactyla order includes 10 familiesDo you want to meet them?:
- Antilocapridae: It includes a single species and is endemic to North America. It is an animal similar to the antelope, ruminant and with horns in both sexes.
- Cervidae: Includes ruminant herbivores deer and deer. They have four fingers in each leg and hooves divided into two. In turn, males have antlers.
- Giraffidae: Formed only by two species of giraffes that inhabit Africa. Both have skin -coated horns that are called OSICONOS. We encourage you to read these curious articles about how many hearts a giraffe and the tongue of the giraffes have: color and how much it measures.
- Bovidae: It is the most numerous group, we find buffalo, antelopes, gazelles, mountain goats, sheep, goats and cattle. They are distributed throughout the world and most have been domesticated. They are herbivorous and generally both sexes have permanent horns covered by keratin.
- Camelidae: made up of Guanacos, camels, dromedaries, flames, alpacas and vicuñas herbivores. They do not have hooves, instead they have two fingers with strong nails and plantar pads.
- Hippopotamidae: Here we find the hippos of Africa. They have four fingers on each foot and do not have hooves, but pads. His stomach has three cameras and his incisors and canines grow continuously. During the night fodder in pastures and day they are submerged in the water. We encourage you to discover what hippos eat.
- Moschidae: consisting of seven species of musk deer. Unlike the Cervidae, they do not have antlers. They are herbivores and inhabit forested areas and alpine thickets of Asia, especially in the Himalayas.
- Suidae: Includes pigs, wild boars, babiruses and the facóquero. They are omnivorous and ruminant animals found in forests or steppes. They have a bad vision but an excellent smell.
- Tayassuidae: The family of the pecaríes or chanos de Monte. They are similar animals to pigs, with the elongated snout and a cartilaginous disc that ends with the nostrils. Its previous members have four fingers and subsequent three. The stomach has three cameras and are not ruminants. They are night and omnivorous habits, they live in forests and steppes, usually in a group.
- Tragulidae: It contains ten species of tragulids or mouse deer. They have neither antlers nor horns, they have four fingers in their limbs and a stomach with four cameras, they are ruminants. Almost all species are herbivorous although some species feed on insects and small mammals.
In turn, the artiodactyla, together with the Cetacea order (dolphins, whales and similar) belong to the group CETARTIODACTYLAAlthough some argue that cetaceans should be included in artiodactiles to descend from them.
Examples of artiodactile
Within the artiodactile families that we have named, there are more than 220 species, it is impossible for us to know all, but we leave you three examples below.
Oryx Gazella
It’s a large antílope which belongs to the Bovidae family. A distinctive feature that presents is the black mask around the white snout. Inhabits arid and desert plains, although it is also found on rocky slopes and dense thickets. He is herbivore and make up groups of 30 to 50 individuals. Both sexes have horns although that of females is shorter and thinner.
Lama Guanicoe
The Guanaco It is the highest mammal in South America and belongs to the Camelidae family. It has legs and long neck and a woolly fur. It is a herbivorous species that is found in open habitats such as steppes, grasslands and mountains. They are daytime and gregarious, they live in groups of 4 to 20 individuals, where there is usually a single male accompanied by females and young, while young males usually form groups apart among them.
Here you can learn better to Guanaco: characteristics, food and reproduction.
Your scrofa
Within the Suidae family we find wild boara robust body animal, with well -developed fangs that grow continuously curving in, above all the lower ones. He lives in areas with good vegetation coverage, in groups of approximately 20 individuals made up of females, young and youth, meanwhile, males are lonely. They are omnivorous, nocturnal and crepuscular, they use their good smell to locate food.
If you want to read more articles similar to Artiodactile: what are, characteristics and exampleswe recommend that you enter our biology category.
- Biodiversity information system. Available at: https://sib.gob.ar/portada
- Álvarez Romero J, Medellín Legorreta R. 2005. Oryx Gazella. Available at: http://www.conabio.gob.mx/conocimiento/exoticas/fichaexoticas/oryxgazella00.pdf
- Garrido G. 2008. GENERALS ON THE ARTIDACTILOS OF VILLAFRENSO HIGH. Available at: https://www.igme.es/epvrf/docs/fonelas_16.pdf