Despite the fact that the odd-toed animal and its artiodactyl counterpart belong to the same group, which is called the superorder Ungulates, there are many significant differences between them. The main thing is that people exterminated most of the first detachment. Many representatives of equids are now listed in the Red Book and are strictly protected. Only a few specimens can be hunted. But this does not mean that mankind did not put its hand to the artiodactyl detachment. Some of them are also listed in the Red Book.
So, an artiodactyl animal differs from an artiodactyl in the structure of fingers on the limbs. There are an odd number of them, and one of them is the most developed. He is responsible for the entire load that falls on him from the weight of the body. They are rather large animals with a simple stomach. One family from this order is distinguished by a horn on its head and is called a rhinoceros. In the past, a large number of different species consisted of a group of equids, their presentation in modern times is limited to only threefamilies. These are Tapirs, Equidae and Rhinos.
The largest odd-toed animal is the rhinoceros. There are only five species of them in the world, two of which live in Africa. The rest settled in the forests of Asia. Rhinoceroses can live well in a separate variant. They unite only when the mating period begins. The fact is that any rhinoceros has dense skin, which is quite difficult to damage even a serious detachment of predators. This allows them to feel quite safe even when alone. The legs and tail of these representatives are short and thick, and the lips are arranged so that it is convenient to collect grass and twigs from trees. Most rhinos are not dangerous to humans.
The next odd-toed ungulate is slightly smaller than a rhinoceros. This is the Equidae family, which includes horses and zebras. There are much fewer of the latter than rhinos, there are only three species, each of which has the same color. The zebra is famous for its black and white stripes on its body. This helps to scare away gadflies and tsetse flies that love to feast on the blood of animals. All zebras live in Africa and are safe for humans. Horses, on the other hand, do not need a separate introduction, since people have long made them their helpers and know what representatives of this species look like.
And the last animal from the order in question is called the tapir. This representative can be called the most vulnerable, since he is endowed only with small limbs, a bulky body and small eyes that see very poorly. Therefore, they are forced to navigate by smell and hearing. For humans, these animals are not dangerous. There are only four species of tapir left in the world, living in Southeast Asia and America.
In any case, artiodactyls and equids are an integral part of nature. And if in the past people, out of their ignorance, were irresponsible for the conservation of certain species, now we must ensure the safe existence of the remaining specimens in order to save entire families.
