Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores - Basic Body Plans of Serengeti Herbivores

Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level II - The Herbivores - Basic Body Plans of Serengeti Herbivores - Page 17

Trophic Level II - The Herbivores
Basic Body Plans of Serengeti Herbivores
Page 17

Ungulates

Ungulates are hoofed mammals. They are divided into two groups based on the number of toes on which they walk. The even-toed ungulates belong to the order Perissodactyl. The odd-toed ungulates belong to the order Artiodactyl.

All ungulates have several things in common. They all have long, barrel shaped bodies which are necessary to allow them to consume large quantities of poor quality food. They all eat plants. They all live and feed on the ground. None can use their front-limbs the way monkeys and squirrels do to obtain food. All have long, large jaws to chew and grind their food.

The animals in these two orders are generally well known. The Perissodactyl order contains asses, horses and zebras that walk on one toe. It also contains tapirs and rhinoceroses that walk on three or five toes.

Artiodactyls include the two-toed camels, pigs, antelopes, deer, peccaries and giraffe. It also includes the four-toed hippopotamus.

Orders

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All of these animals evolved from near-ungulates, most of which have become extinct. This group of animals is still represented by three orders that have survived until today. They include the elephant (Order: Proboscidea), the hyrax (Order: Hydracodeia) and the aardvark (Order: Tubulidenta). These animals do not have hooves but instead possess sturdy toenails. Some species of hyrax are very adept at climbing trees, while the aardvark consumes animal protein in the form of ants and termites.

Africa is the only continent to have members of all five orders: Tubulidenta, Hydracodeia, Proboscidea, Artiodactyl and Perissodactyl. The Serengeti-Mara has at least one member of each order including three species of hyrax, several antelopes, aardvarks, elephant, and zebra.

Two basic feeding strategies have been developed by these animals. Ruminants rely on four stomachs to process food (see Ruminants) and hindgut fermenters (see Hindgut Fermenters) process most of their food in the large intestine. The members of the ruminant family include deer, sheep, goats, antelope, giraffe and camels. Hindgut fermenters include elephants, hyraxes, rhinos, pigs, hippos, horses and zebras. Elephants and hyraxes are generally classed as primitive ungulates and will be dealt with separately.

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