Perissodactyla
- Equus Horse, Ass,
Zebra
• The horse family Equidae, which also includes asses and zebras, are large, fast
running animals.
• They live in herds.
- Rhinoceros Rhino • Rhinoceroses are massive, thick-skinned and herbivorous mammals with 3
hoofed toes on all feet.
• They live in African grasslands and forests of southern Asia.
• The most striking feature is the fibrous horn (1 or 2) composed of matted hair,
on the top of snout having a prehensile upper lip.
• Rhinoceros unicornis (Indian rhinoceros) bears a single horn. Diceros bicornis
(African black rhinoceros) has two horns.
Artiodactyla
- Bos indicus Ox/Cow • It is found in India and Africa.
• It has prominent hump, upright horns and dropping ears.
• Stomach is four-chambered.
- Sus Pig • The wild boar or pig, Sus scrofa, found in the woodlands of Europe,
N. Africa and almost whole of Asia, is the ancestor of all domesticated pigs used
for meat (pork) and fat (lard).
• Its stocky body is covered with short stiff hair.
- Hippopotamus Hippo-
potamus
• The common hippopotamus, Hippopotamus amphibius, found in most rivers
of tropical Africa, is a large, heavy and short-legged, nocturnal, herbivorous
ungulate, 4 metres in length and weighing upto 4 tons.
• It lives in small groups remaining in water in daytime but coming out at night
for feeding.
- Camelus Camel • Camels are also known as ship of the desert.
• Only two species of camel exist :
(i) Camelus dromedarius (Arabian camel) : It is a single humped camel
extensively found in South Western Asia and North Africa. It is domesticated
in North-Western India.
(ii) Camelus bactrianus (Bactrian camel) : It is the two humped camel found in
Gobi desert in Central Asia, the United States and also Ladakh, (part of J &
K, India).
• The hump contains reserve food in the form of fat, which provides water as well
as heat, when metabolised.
• Red blood corpuscles of camels are oval.
- Giraffa Giraffe • Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, inhabits tree-studded grasslands of
E. Africa. It is the tallest living animal reaching a height of 6 meters above
ground.
• Forelimbs are longer than hindlimbs. Enormously elongated neck bears a short
erect mane and contains only seven cervical vertebrae.
• Giraffe is fast enough to outrun most of its enemies. It cannot make sound.
