Ungulate

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Ungulates are mammals with hooves. They’re a large group called Euungulata and are mostly plant-eaters, though some eat meat or a mix of foods. Living ungulates fall into two main groups: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) and Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates). An interesting fact: whales, dolphins, and other toothed whales are also artiodactyls, but they don’t have hooves and they live in the ocean.

A hoof is the hard covering at the end of a toe that helps with balance and movement on different surfaces. Over time, many ungulates reduced the number of toes. For example, horses now walk on a single toe per foot, with a strong hoof.

Diet and teeth vary a lot. Most ungulates are herbivores, using specialized teeth to grind tough plant material. Some, like pigs and other species, eat meat or a mix of foods. Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are carnivorous, feeding on fish, squid, and other animals.

Horns, antlers, and other head features come in many styles. In many hoofed animals, males grow horns with a bony core wrapped in keratin; females may have smaller horns or none. Deer males grow antlers that are shed and regrown each year. Giraffes and some relatives have ossicones—horn-like bumps on their heads. Pronghorns have a unique horn with a keratin sheath that is shed and regrown annually.

Today’s main living ungulates are two groups: Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla. Artiodactyla includes camels, cattle, sheep, goats, deer, pigs, and also all whales. Perissodactyla includes horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs.

Ungulates live in almost every habitat—mountains, deserts, forests, grasslands, and oceans. Humans have domesticated many, making them important for food, work, and companionship.

In short: Ungulates are hoofed mammals that come in two big living groups, with a wide range of shapes, sizes, diets, and features like horns, antlers, or ossicones.