Horse
Equus ferus caballus
Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.
The domestic horse is a grazing equid with a long history alongside people. Social behaviour and rapid movement are important features of its biology.
Photo by David Dibert on Unsplash
At a glance
- Location
- Managed pasture and other human landscapes worldwide, with feral populations in some regions.
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Food
- Mainly grasses and other plant forage.
Classification
- Common name
- Horse
- Browse group
- Mammals
- Scientific name or taxon
- Equus ferus caballus
- Taxon rank
- subspecies
- Order
- Perissodactyla
- Family
- Equidae
- Genus
- Equus
- Source classification
- Mammalia
Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.
Three things to know
- Horses are grazing herbivores.
- Each foot has a single hoof.
- Social bands contain animals of different ages.
Habitat and range
Managed pasture and other human landscapes worldwide, with feral populations in some regions.
Appearance and adaptations
Long limbs end in single hooves. A long face houses teeth adapted to processing plant food, and the mane grows along the neck.
Diet and behaviour
Horses commonly live in social bands. They spend substantial time grazing and use body posture and vocal signals in interactions.
More photos
Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash
Sources
- Animal Diversity Web: Equus caballus
- A–Z Animals: Horse · Directory entry
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