Ungulate facts for kids

Ungulates are a group of mammals that mostly walk on the tips of their toes. These toes are usually covered by hard hooves. The word "ungulate" roughly means "hoofed animal."

Quick facts for kids Ungulate Temporal range: Paleocene–Recent, PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible Upper Cretaceous–Present
Donkey, Equus africanus
Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Ferungulata
Clade:	Ungulata Linnaeus, 1766
Orders and Clades
Mesaxonia †Phenacodontidae †Anthracobunidae ?†Desmostylia †Meridiungulata Perissodactyla †Dinocerata Paraxonia ?†Arctocyonidae †Mesonychia Artiodactyla (including Cetacea)

What Are Ungulates?

Most ungulates use their hooves to support their body weight as they move around. This helps them walk, run, and balance.

You might think of animals with hooves when you hear "ungulate." However, some animals like whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also considered ungulates, even though they don't have hooves. This is because scientists have found that these ocean animals are related to early even-toed ungulates. They evolved from land animals that once had hooves.

What Do Ungulates Eat?

Most ungulates are herbivores. This means they eat plants. Many of them have special bacteria in their stomachs. These bacteria help them digest tough plant materials like cellulose.

While most ungulates eat plants, some modern species are omnivores. For example, pigs eat both plants and meat. Long ago, some prehistoric ungulates, like the Mesonychia, were even carnivores and hunted other animals.

Types of Ungulates

Ungulates are divided into two main groups based on their toes:

Odd-Toed Ungulates

This group is called Perissodactyla. Animals in this group have an odd number of toes on each foot. The main toe is usually the largest and supports most of their weight.

Examples of odd-toed ungulates include:

• Horses
• Rhinoceroses
• Tapirs

Even-Toed Ungulates

This group is called Artiodactyla. Animals in this group have an even number of toes on each foot. Their weight is usually supported by two main toes.

Examples of even-toed ungulates include:

• Cattle (like cows)
• Pigs
• Giraffes
• Camels
• Sheep
• Deer
• Hippopotamuses

As mentioned before, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) are also part of the even-toed ungulate group. Even though they live in water and don't have hooves, their ancestors were land-dwelling even-toed ungulates.

Images for kids

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  Plains zebra

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  Père David's deer

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  Blue whale

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  Uintatherium anceps, a dinoceratan

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  Restoration of Eurohippus parvulus, a mid- to late Eocene equid of Europe (Natural History Museum, Berlin)

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  Arctocyon an arctocyonid

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  Skeleton of Ambulocetus natans, a stem whale

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  Pacific white-sided dolphin skeleton (missing pelvic bones), on exhibit at The Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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  Velvet covers a growing antler and provides it with blood, supplying oxygen and nutrients.

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  Cloven hooves of Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), with dew claws

See also

In Spanish: Ungulata para niños