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Perissodactyla. By: Alicia Rosenberger. What is Perissodactyla. Perissodactyla is the order of the odd toed animals. There were originally 14 families. There are now 11 extinct families.
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Perissodactyla By: Alicia Rosenberger
What is Perissodactyla • Perissodactyla is the order of the odd toed animals. • There were originally 14 families. • There are now 11 extinct families. • Those that remain include the horses and zebras (Equidae; eight living species), rhinos (Rhinocerotidae; five living species), and tapirs (Tapiridae; four living species).
Characteristics • The single toe is actually a combination of three toes that bear the weight together, with the middle toe being the largest of the three.
Where is Perissodactyla found • Despite being such a small order, the odd-toed ungulates have a wide distribution, being found across the Ethiopian, Palearctic, Oriental, and Neotropical zoogeographic regions.
Equidae • The species of Equidae have just one toe • The general form of equids - including a large, blockish head, sturdy neck, and long legs - is easily recognizable. • A characteristic bristly mane is found on the nape of the neck, and the tail has a long tassle. • This family, made up of the horses, donkeys and zebras, contains one genus with nine species. • Domestic equids range worldwide; in the wild equids occur mainly in East Africa and the Near East to Mongolia.
Tapiridae • Tapirs look something like pigs with trunks, but they are actually related to horses and rhinoceroses. • Tapirs have a short prehensile (gripping) trunk, which is really an extended nose and upper lip. • Tapirs have four toes on the front feet and three on the back feet. • New World tapirs generally live in the forests and grasslands of Central and South America. • Woolly tapirs, named for their warm and protective coat, are the smallest of all tapirs. • All four tapir species are endangered or threatened, largely due to hunting and habitat loss.
Rhinocerotidae • rhinoceroses have three toes on all feet • The name "rhinoceros" translates directly from Greek as "nose-horn". • Unlike the horns of bovid artiodactyls, the "horns" of the rhinoceroses lack a bony core and are comprised of compressed hair. • The skin is tough and thick, falling into plate-like folds; in most species it is bare or sparsely haired
Rhinocerotidae • They are represented by 5 species placed in 4 genera. • Three of these species are found in south-central Asia and the other two live in Africa south of the Sahara. • Rhinoceroses generally inhabit savannahs, shrubby regions and dense forests, and the African species usually live in more open areas than do the Asiatic species.
Resources • http://animals.jrank.org/pages/3238/Odd-Toed-Ungulates-Perissodactyla-PHYSICAL-CHARACTERISTICS.html • http://www.ultimateungulate.com/perissodactyla.html • http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/tapir/ • http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/mesaxonia/perissodactyla.html • http://www.eol.org/pages/1670 • http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Perissodactyla/Rhinocerotidae.html