Even-toed ungulates- a family of mammals. There are 242 species. Due to the fact that these animals have hooves, they are called the order Artiodactyla. Such animals usually have two or four fingers.
The order Artiodactyla is a herbivore. Lives order Artiodactyla families. Due to the natural changes in some animals perform seasonal migrations.
The order Artiodactyla can hunt such animals as: cat and dog. Also, the people are the enemies of cloven-hoofed animals. They kill them for their meat and skins.
The order Artiodactyla is divided into moolanomy, ruminant and non-ruminant. Let us consider in detail the class of cloven-hoofed ruminants.
Ruminant artiodactyls
In this group of ruminant artiodactyls includes:
- Bovids;
- Pronghorn;
- Giraffidae;
- Olen’ovo;
- Olenkova;
- Cabergoline.
Family giraffidae
Family giraffidae includes two kinds: giraffe and Okapi. Let’s briefly review each type.
Giraffes.
Giraffe- the tallest animal that live in the savannas of Africa.
The growth of a giraffe reaches six meters, and they weigh a ton. His legs are long, and front legs longer than hind legs. The tail is long, reaches one meter. The head has bony horns. The eyes are large, and the language is very long – 45 cm.
They lie very rarely. Even giraffes sleep standing up. These animals are very fast moving. Their speed can reach sixty kilometers per hour.
Giraffes live in herds of up to twenty individuals. Life expectancy is fifteen years.
Okapi.
Okapi resemble a horse, but their relative is the giraffe. They have also called a forest giraffe. They live in the mountains and plains of the Republic of the Congo.
This animal has a very interesting coloration: legs like a Zebra, that is in black and white stripes. The muzzle is black with white spots, on top of the horns like a giraffe. Females have no such horn.
The trunk is dark brown. The tail is long, forty centimeters. In length the animal reaches two meters. And the height nearly two meters. Weigh on average 250 pounds. The tongue is long and blue, its length is thirty inches. The ears are large and sensitive.
In connection with the reduction in the number of okapis, they are listed in the Red book.
Family olelkovich.
Family olelkovich includes two kinds of olenikov:
- Asian Olenka;
- Water Olenka.
Asian Olenka is the smallest hoofed ruminants. They live in forests of Asia. Their body length can reach seventy centimeters. And the weight does not exceed eight kilograms. The horns of olenikov do not exist. Hair color Asian olenikov – brown. Are only nocturnal.
Water Olenka – larger Asian olenikov. Their body length can reach one hundred centimeters. Body weight comes to fifteen pounds. And these olenikov horns also grow, but males have long upper canine teeth. They are nocturnal and Asian Olenka. Hair color – brown.
Family Kabulovich
Family Kabulovich includes only one genus is musk deer.
Musk deer- this is an unusual animal that has fangs. They are located in the upper jaw.
These animals inhabit the mountains in the North of Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Nepal, Korea.
The length of these animals is small – one meter and a height of eighty inches. The weight of the musk deer does not exceed eighteen pounds.
This animal feeds on lichens, epiphytes, leaves of bilberry, pine needles and fern.
The lifespan of these animals is very small – five years. And in captivity they can live up to twelve years.
The family of olen’ovo
The family of olen’ovo – belongs to the order of ruminants cloven-hoofed animals that live in the America, Europe, and Africa.
All the deer family are branched and long horns, which they shed in winter. In females, these horns do not grow. The horns of the males are very heavy, about thirty pounds. And their length can reach two meters.
The size of the deer may be different. Some growth with the dog and other bull.
Deer feed on leaves, shoots of shrubs and trees.
The deer family consists of three subfamilies, genera and nineteen fifty-one.
The most interesting are the following:
- Red deer is the largest deer. Their weight can reach three hundred pounds.
- The white kind of deer is the rarest deer with white color.
- American species is the white-tailed deer with a white tail. Live in North America.
- Siberian breed. It includes the following species: the even, the Chukchi, Evenk, Nenets,.
- The Pudu is the smallest species of deer. His height does not exceed forty inches and a weight of no more than ten pounds
The family of bovids
To the family of bovids are:
- Buffalo;
- Bison;
- Bulls;
- Sheep;
- Goats;
- Antelope;
- Gazelle.
Let’s briefly review each type.
Buffalo.
Buffalo is a very dangerous animal, especially to humans. Statistics show that this animal year had been killed over two hundred people.
The weight of the Buffalo reaches a ton, height of two meters, and its length more than three meters.
These animals eat only grass. Daily they eat twenty pounds of fresh grass.
Buffalo has huge horns, twisted inside.
Bison.
Bizon is a very powerful and strong animal. Often it is confused with bison. In length they reach three meters and a height of two meters. Weight ranges from 700 to 1 thousand pounds.
Live bison in Western and Northern Missouri. These animals live in a herd. Their number is composed of twenty thousand individuals. The Buffalo feeds on grass. In the day he eats up to twenty-five pounds of fresh grass.
The lifespan of a Buffalo is twenty five years.
Bulls.
The ox is cloven-hoofed ruminant mammal.
There are the following bulls:
- The savage bull occurs in nature, is the precursor of the home bull.
- Home bull bred by man for milk, meat and leather.
- Musk ox is the only representative of the musk oxen.
- Tibetan bull. Another way this animal called the Yak. Different from other bulls his coat, which hangs from the sides and covers the foot.
Sheep.
A sheep is a mammal. Its length can reach 180 centimeters, a height of 130 centimeters and a weight from 25 to 220 pounds. The distinctive feature of these animals is their horns. They are very large, massive and twisted.
Sheep are divided into the following types:
- Domestic sheep;
- The Karakul breed;
- Soviet Merinos;
- The border Leicester;
- Mouflon;
- Urial;
- Mountain sheep;
- Bighorn sheep;
- Toolstorage RAM;
- Tonkonogi RAM;
Goats.
The goat is a ruminant animal. They are domesticated and wild. Most goats have a beard. Wool, depending on the breed, can be short or long. Horns long and curved backwards.
The life expectancy of goats does not exceed ten years.
Antelope.
Antelope is a subfamily of bovids. Their body length varies from twenty centimeters to two meters.
Gazelle.
Gazelle is a small animal that belongs to the subfamily of antelopes. The length of the ghazal does not exceed 170 cm, height 110 cm, and weight not more than 85 pounds.
The horns of a Gazelle, long, lyrate shape. They can reach a length of eighty inches.
Basically, these animals live in Africa. Gazelles live in herds consisting of thousands of individuals.
