The animal world is large and diverse: graceful and graceful, heavyweights and pachyderms. An interesting group of ungulate inhabitants of our planet. Artiodactyl animals are called so because they have a pair of fingers, reliably protected by a horn hoof. They are medium and large in size, live in forests, mountains, steppes, deserts. Many have horns. Wild forms are widespread across all continents, excluding Antarctica, Australia and Oceania. However, in Australia now you can meet ungulates, brought and acclimatized by humans.
The fact is that this continent was ruled by English colonists. As you know, the British often drink tea, preferring to dilute it with milk. Therefore, to satisfy their tastes, they brought cows to Australia. It would seem that peaceful cows, well known to us from children's cartoons, melancholy chewing grass, are a symbol of a rural idyll. However, they almost caused an environmental disaster! Since the cows were artificially distributed across the Australian continent, they could have neither natural enemies, nor insects to help decompose the cow cakes that quickly filled the pastures. I had to urgently import dung beetles, better known as "scarabs." The Egyptians revered them as sacred, because each scarab certainly pushed a ball of dung in front of him, which was perceived by the Egyptians as a symbol of the sun for a similar shape.
All cloven-hoofed animals are divided into species: ruminant, non-ruminant, and callopods (camel). The largest number of species is concentrated in Africa and Asia. In America, mainly domesticated species live.
Artiodactyl animals are mostly land-based. Only a few species, such as hippopotamus, are found in water. Mountain goats have adapted to life in the mountains and can perfectly climb rocks.
Africa breaks records for the most unusual and amazing representatives of artiodactyls. The first place, perhaps, could easily have been taken by a hippopotamus - an African artiodactyl animal. He has an impressive look and peculiar habits.
Slender Kudu antelope is common throughout Africa.
The giraffe, a ruminant artiodactyl, looks original and unusual. The massai giraffe of yellow-brown color with irregular-shaped chocolate spots is better known. At first glance, so awkward, he has excellent eyesight and sensitive hearing. Due to its color, the giraffe dissolves in the expanses of the savannah, merging with the background of vegetation.
Lychee in appearance resembles a swamp goat. She has long and thin horns that, when running, she throws on her back. The lychee has a long tail, coarse coarse coat. The body color is dark red, but the throat and neck are always white, as if the collar of a sweater. Long hooves are usually wide apart.
Gerenuk or giraffe gazelle is another unusual representative of artiodactyls. The body length of the animal is about 1.6 m. Males boast beautifully curved, lyre-shaped horns.
Artiodactyl animals are one of the most numerous. They adorn the zoological world of our planet.
