My Science School

Many of the ungulates are able to digest their food more efficiently than other animals. This means that, despite their large size, they can get the nourishment they need from their plant-eating diets. These animals are known as ruminants, and include camels, giraffes, deer and bovids (cattle, antelopes, sheep and goats). Their stomachs are divided into compartments that break down tough food in stages. In some ruminants, such as cattle, the food is sent back to the mouth to be chewed again after the first stage of digestion.

This efficient process of digestion means that the ruminants are able to spend less time eating than do other ungulates, such as horses. They also do not need to drink as often, so they can roam more freely in harsh conditions such as deserts.

Giraffes live in open wooded areas of the African grasslands. With adult males measuring over five metres in height, they are the tallest animals on land. They have long legs, sloping backs and extremely long necks, which means that they can feed on leave and shoots from trees that other animals cannot reach.

Giraffes wander across large home ranges, moving in constantly changing groups for protection. They have excellent eyesight and can see for several kilometres. They are also able to run at over 50 kilometres per hour with a strange lopsided gait, both legs on the same side moving at once. Females will lash out with their huge, powerful feet if a predator threatens their calves.

Wild cattle, sheep, goats, antelopes and gazelles are known as bovids. The first three groups of bovids have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years, but they still have many wild relatives. Small bovids, such as gazelles, feed on higher-quality plant material such as fruits, leaves and bark. The large cattle are grazers, breaking down their poorer diet of grass by chewing the cud (partially digested food).

Many bovids live in herds, which in the African buffalo can number hundreds of individuals. Cattle and antelopes are preyed upon by big cats or wild dogs. The predators usually target young or sick cattle, but adult cattle are sometimes able to drive them away by forming a defensive group or attacking with their horns. Antelopes of all ages are vulnerable to attack. They hide from predators, or escape from danger by running and leaping at top speed.

Sheep and goats live in rocky, mountain environments. Some are solitary and will fight fiercely for territory, while others group together in herds. They have stocky but agile bodies, and are able to run and leap over dangerous terrain without falling. Males and females both usually have horns, though those of the male are larger. During tights the males clash their horns with great force. Goats also stab violently while sheep bang their heads together.

Deer look very similar to antelopes, but, unlike antelopes, deer do not have a permanent set of bony horns. A deer’s antlers (possessed only by males except in the reindeer) are shed and regrown every year, as they are often damaged in fights.

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