My Science School

The even-toed ungulates include a wide variety of large mammals from pigs and sheep to giraffes and antelopes. There are two main groups of even-toed ungulates. The first group is made up of the pigs, peccaries and hippopotamuses, which have short legs, large heads and four toes on each foot. The second group comprises all other even-toed ungulates, which have longer legs and two toes on each foot.

Wild pigs and peccaries have stocky bodies covered with bristly hair, and large canine teeth, which in some kinds, such as wild boars and warthogs, curve upwards to form tusks. They are larger in males, and are used for fighting. Thick skin and pads of matted hair on the shoulders protect each male from its opponent’s tusks.

Wild pigs and peccaries feed on a wider variety of foods than other even-toed ungulates. Wild boars use their large, mobile snouts to sniff out and unearth plants, fruits, worms, roots and even small animals such as frogs and rodents. Other wild pigs eat grasses while peccaries feed mostly on roots, fruit and seeds.

Wild pigs usually live in small groups of males or females and their young, though larger groups may come together to feed. Peccaries live in large social herds that are then divided into smaller family groups including males, females and young. Peccaries will defend their territory against intruders and risk their lives to protect the herd from a predator.

Hippopotamuses are large African mammals. The hippopotamus lives in groups in Grassland Rivers and lakes, while its smaller, more solitary relative, the pygmy hippopotamus, lives in forests and swamps.

The skin of a hippopotamus dries out quickly in the hot African sunshine, so they spend the daytime lazing in cool water or mud. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are high on their heads, so they can submerge almost their entire bodies. At night, as the air cools down, they come out on to land and graze on short grasses for a few hours. Because they spend little time moving about, they do not need to eat for long periods every day as other large ungulates do.

 However, despite their lazy appearance, hippopotamuses are powerful animals that will fight fiercely for territory or to defend their young. They can inflict serious injuries with their long, sharp, lower canine teeth on anything that threatens them.

Camels are two-toed ungulates. The camel group includes two species of camel and several South American species such as llamas and vicunas. They live in deserts or mountainous plains, and have adapted to be able to survive in these harsh conditions.

Camels are desert animals. Their flat, wide feet help them to walk easily over soft sand, and they can even close their nostrils to stop sand blowing in. Camels will eat dry, thorny plant material that other animals would not, and they can go for long periods without food or water. Their humps are actually food stores in the form of fat, and their bodies conserve as much water as possible. When they do drink, they can take in large volumes of water in a short time.

Most camels are now domesticated by humans, though they still roam freely for much of the time, living in herds and feeding for themselves. They have been used for thousands of years by humans as beasts of burden, carrying goods and people for many miles. Their meat, wool and milk are also valued by their owners.

The smaller members of the camel family live in the Andes Mountains of South America. They are agile, long-legged animals that feed on grass or browse on plant material. The llama and alpaca are domesticated. Llamas can carry heavy loads for miles across rough terrain, while alpacas are bred for their fine wool. The guanaco and vicuña live in wild groups. They are also prized for their wool, which means that they are vulnerable to hunters.

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