Horsing Around

This week we do not need to go very far at all to find members of this kind. Almost anywhere in the world people live, there are members of this kind either domesticated or living in the wild.

The members of this kind come in a wide range of colors from white to black and most colors in between. They have a variety of patterns including stripes and spots, and they come in a range of sizes as well. Some species are solitary, but most live in herds, which are usually led by a male and include several to many females. They are grazers, preferring to dine on grass and other greens. Because of their specialized foot structure, they are very surefooted, able to pick their way along rocky outcrops. They are also very quick, an important trait in a kind that has essentially no defense against predators outside of running away.

Because they generally live in herds, finding a mate is straightforward. Males have multiple females to pick from. Males will also fight for control of a herd, and males with no herd will sometimes form “bachelor” herds. Babies are cared for by the mother and are born so mature that they can often stand within minutes and run within roughly an hour. These foals will take about a year to 18 months to reach maturity, but some species will continue to grow until they are 4 to 6 years old.

Has anyone figured it out yet? This week’s kind is the Equidae—the horse kind. Probably some of you figured this one out, and many of you have probably ridden a horse. Stay tuned for next week when we head to Central and South America

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Clue

Your clue for the week is:

This lizard kind has a species named for Charles Darwin, and they love to munch on insects.

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