Introduction to Ungulates

Define the following: Ungulate:

A mammal that walks on its toenails; a hoofed mammal

What is a ruminant? List two advantages to being a ruminant.

A ruminant is: A mammal with a four-chambered stomach, which permits fermentation and eructation (spitting up cud for re-chewing). Two advantages: The rumination process digests cellulose much more efficiently and can make the animal less dependent on outside sources of water. The animal is able to eat now and chew and digest later in safety (i.e. Eat and run). Also acceptable: Colder climates are more tolerable in part due to the stomach bacteria providing an internal heat source; Excess bacteria act as a protein source; efficiently absorbs more nutrition and water during digestion.

Name three differences between horns and antlers.

ANTLERS vs. HORNS a. Bone, tissue Keratin-sheathed bone & initial blood supply b. Shed annually Permanent c. Typically males only Can be found on both sexes Also acceptable: Branched(A) vs. Not branched (H - exception: pronghorns); If damaged, Antlers will regrow, Horns won't.

What can we encourage Zoo Guests to do to help Giraffe?

Acceptable: If you are able to travel, responsible eco-tourism can help protect animals like giraffes and their habitat. Your park entry fees and taxes on tour companies give local governments an economic incentive for conservation. Also: donate your used denim to OZ for Jeans for Giraffes. Jeans For Giraffes containers are located at the Main and Lower Entrances to the zoo. Also: support organizations that fight to create protected corridors for ungulate migration; support organizations that work with local people and communities to conserve and protect ungulates; shop responsibly - don't purchase animal products.

List three differences between the two main groups of ungulates. Artiodactyla (even-toed) vs. Perissodactyla (odd-toed)

Artiodactyla vs. Perissodactyla a. most have multi-chambered stomach (ruminants) single stomach (non-ruminants) b. antlers or horns no antlers or horns (usually) c. most have no upper incisors most have upper incisors Also acceptable: many species (A) vs. very few species (P); (A) bears most weight about equally on 3rd & 4th digits while (P) bears most weight on 3rd digit.

Who Am I? a. We were once the biggest mass of large mammals to roam the earth. Grooming is an important daily activity and we enjoy wallowing in either dust or mud.

Bison

d. As we walk, a loud clicking noise can be heard over the clacking of our hooves and may be heard over a mile away - it may come from the tendons in our front legs. This warns younger males that a larger dominant male is in the area.

Common Eland

f. Since we have both upper and lower incisors we can snip tough outer layers of plants, exposing tender under-grasses for other herbivores. Our coloration may serve many purposes - confusing predators and pesky flies; and identifying individuals allowing us to bond in family groups. Are we white with black stripes, or black with white stripes? Take a look at our end points . . .

Common Zebra (or Plains Zebra)

g. Our best friends at the zoo are lagomorphs. Our snouts are perfectly designed for digging up roots and our exhibit! We won't turn up our snout at anything - we'll eat grass, bulbs, tubers, fungi, bugs, rodents and even carrion.

Forest Guinea Hog

Name two zoo animals that have horns.

Giraffe, Eland, bison, goats, sheep

What is the difference between grazers and browsers? Give one zoo animal example of each.

Grazers: eat grasses & plants at ground-level - bison, tule elk, muntjac, sheep, warthog, guinea forest hog, camel & zebra (may both graze & browse). Browsers: eat leaves, buds and twigs at their head level - giraffe, eland, goats, camel & zebra.

What is a major function of horns and antlers?

Horns and antlers are used in intra-species sexual displays; Also acceptable: in dominance combat; in defense against predators; protecting self & young

It appears the IUCN lists the status of the Reticulated Giraffe as Least Concern. Does that mean the Reticulated Giraffe has no worries in the wild?

Human activity has split the population into isolated groups. The principal threat to wild giraffes is poaching, and the situation is getting worse as armed conflicts continue throughout much of their range.

Define the following: Matrifocal:

Mother-dominated society; Pertaining to a family unit headed by the mother and lacking a participating father.

How many vertebrae does a giraffe have in its neck? Why would this be interesting to zoo guests?

Seven, the same as are found in most mammals. Giraffe have the same number of neck vertebrae as humans - theirs are just much larger!

What organizations does the Oakland Zoo support to help Giraffe?

The Oakland Zoo supports The Giraffe Conservation Foundation and the Reticulated Giraffe Project. Our Zoo is working to learn more about and protect wild giraffe populations. Zoo staff are currently playing a key role in organizing a network for captive caregivers to share and support research. Also Acceptable: Jeans for Giraffes collects denim and recycles it into building insulation. The recycling company pays for the denim - the funds are used to raise money for research and to protect wild giraffe populations, some of which goes to the Reticulated Giraffe Project.

Define the following: Dazzle effect:

The confusion seen in predators when a large number of prey animals simultaneously run; esp. in reference to lions when zebras scatter and make it difficult to focus on one striped rump.

Why doesn't a giraffe black out when it lowers its head to drink?

The neck veins contain one-way valves that clamp shut and a network of tiny veins to prevent blackouts. The large heart provides enough blood pressure to counter gravity.

At the warthogs, you hear a visitor say, "Look at his horns!" How do you respond?

Those are not horns, they are tusks; tusks are teeth (canines); horns grow out of the top of an animal's head.

e. We're native to California valleys. We're sometimes called dwarves since we're the smallest of our kind, despite being the second largest species of North American deer. Males attract a harem of females by bugling during the autumn mating season.

Tule Elk

Name two zoo animals that have antlers.

Tule elk, muntjac

Who Am I? b. If we've been separated we'll greet each other with loud grunts and lots of nose-to-nose contact. When we're in a group we're called a sounder. It may look like we feed while on our knees, but we're actually on our wrists when searching for food.

Warthog

From the Zoo's collection, give one example of Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates).

Zebra

Giraffes are a favorite for many zoo guests. Name three interpretive points that interest guests of all ages.

a. 18-22 inch prehensile tongue b. can kick in all directions c. fly-swatter tail Also acceptable: 7 vertebrae in their long neck; bulls can reach 18 ft. tall; +/- 6 feet at birth; large feet that can kill a lion; one-way valves that clamp shut in neck veins prevent blood from rushing to the head; neck vertebrae have ball and socket joints, which allow movement in many directions; 'necking displays' are used by young bulls to determine dominance, while nomadic males use this for serious fighting; calves are born from a standing female, dropping some 6 feet to the ground; can run at up to 35 mph; giraffes do make sounds (grunts, snorts & bleats); Will lie down to sleep for one to 20 minutes; foreleg is only 1/10th longer than the hind leg; walking is done by moving the legs on one side of the body at the same time; when galloping, the hind legs move around the front legs before the latter move forward - the animal relies on forward & backward motions of its head & neck to maintain balance and counter momentum while galloping; heart is size of small to medium watermelon; neck & head on adult male weigh 500 pounds combined; long muscular tongue with thick gluey saliva & special upper palate allow giraffe to eat thorny foods; etc.

From the Zoo's collection, give three examples of Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates).

a. Bison b. Eland c. Camel Also acceptable: Tule elk, muntjac, giraffe, warthog, sheep, goats, guinea forest hog

Name five adaptations seen in the camel to allow survival in arid, desert habitats.

a. Fat storage (hump) b. ability to drink brackish (salty) water c. Can eat high salt-content plants (also fish, meat, bones & skin when hungry) d. calluses protect body parts that touch hot sand e. Wide-splayed feet Also acceptable: nictitating membrane; thick eyelashes (2 rows); nostrils that clamp shut; efficient water recovery & retention (hooded nostril with cleft lip; concentrated urine; dry droppings), tolerate raise in body temp of 12° F; survive 30% water loss; heavy fur & fatty hump insulate the body thereby preventing water loss through sweating; large toe pads; thick lips to withstand coarse desert plants; can drink one-third of their body weight in 10 minutes (or 30 gallons in 13 minutes); thick coats insulate them from intense heat radiated from desert sand; kidneys very efficient at reabsorbing water; closely clumped arteries & veins in their head to keep cool; etc.

Give two examples of ruminants at the Oakland Zoo.

a. Giraffe b. Goats Also acceptable: Eland, Tule elk, bison, Muntjac, sheep

Which of the following are made of keratin? a. Horns e. Hair b. Antlers f. Feathers c. Hooves g. Scales d. Fingernails h. Bills

a. Horns c. Hooves d. Fingernails e. Hair f. Feathers g. Scales h. Bills

Name two advantages for living in a herd.

a. Increased vigilance b. More targets for predators (even more with synchronistic breeding) Also acceptable: dazzle effect; culling effect (old, weak, sick animals are more often preyed upon, leaving the young, strong healthy animals alive to pass on their genes); large herd size might scare away lone predators; older members can pass experience on to younger members (ex. Alternate migration routes, food & water resources, fighting strategies); help raising & nursing offspring; swarm intelligence (herd acts to preserve the group, sometimes at an individual's expense).

Name three general characteristics of ungulates.

a. Protective coloration (camouflage) b. Hooves c. Precocial young Also acceptable: Herbivorous; herd societies; monocular vision; many are ruminants; dry nose; long thin legs with muscle mass contained high on the shoulders and rumps; dark coloration around the eyes, unguligrade; prey animals; cursorial (defense mechanism is escape); generalized body plan (long legs, long head, long neck, long torso)

Define the following: Cursorial:

Adapted for running.