Unguiculate (Noun)
Meaning
A mammal having nails or claws.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The ungulates were a group of even-toed unguligrade mammals with hooves, but the predator that was stalking them was an unguiculate mammal with razor-sharp claws.
- Some of the earliest mammals on Earth were small, insectivorous unguiculates that likely used their claws for defense and catching prey.
- Unguiculate mammals, such as bats and primates, possess a unique characteristic: their claws are made of keratin, a protein found in hair and skin.
- In the animal kingdom, the presence of claws is a distinguishing feature that separates unguiculate mammals from their hooved or hoof-less counterparts.
- The fact that most carnivorous mammals are unguiculates, possessing retractable or non-retractable claws, highlights the importance of these structures in their evolution and survival.