A cloven hoof, cleft hoof, divided hoof, or split hoof is a hoof split into two toes. Members of the mammalian order Artiodactyla that possess this type of hoof include cattle, deer, pigs, antelopes, gazelles, goats, and sheep.[1]
The two digits of cloven-hooved animals are homologous to the third and fourth fingers of the hand. They are called claws and are named for their relative location on the foot: the outer, or lateral, claw and the inner, or medial claw. The space between the two claws is called the interdigital cleft; the area of skin is called the interdigital skin. The hard outer covering of the hoof is called the hoof wall or horn. It is a hard surface, similar to the human fingernail.[2]
The almost finger-like dexterity available to cloven-hooved mammals such as mountain goats and wild sheep combined with a hard outer shell and soft and flexible inner pads provides excellent traction in their precarious habitats.[3][4][5]
- ^ American Museum of Natural History (1892). Visitors' Guide to the Geological and Palaeontological Collections. Original from the University of Michigan. p. 59.
Cloven hoof -wikipedia Artiodactyla.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kate Hepworth, Animal Sciences Student; Michael Neary, Extension Animal Scientist; Simon Kenyon, Extension Veterinarian (October 2004). "Hoof Anatomy, Care and Management in Livestock" (PDF). Purdue University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ^ Jackson, Brenda (1998). North American Wildlife (Revised and Updated). Reader's Digest. p. 68. ISBN 0-7621-0020-6.
- ^ Streubel, Donald (2000). "Oreamnos americanus (Mountain Goat)" (Web). Idaho Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ^ Plekon, Hannah J. (April 2007). "Oreamnos americanus; General description". Davidson College. Archived from the original (Web) on 2007-12-30. Retrieved 2007-12-03.