Herbivores are animals that eat only plants. Many herbivores have hooves instead of claws on their feet. This gives them speed to escape from danger. They are called ungulates. Most have strong senses of smell and sight. Ungulates that live in forests, or that have to search for their food, are often solitary. Those that live in open spaces and feed on abundant plants such as grasses tend to live in herds. This gives these animals—deer or zebras, for example—some protection against predators.

Antelopes

Antelopes are long-legged, fast-running mammals from Africa. They feed on grasses and other plants. Gazelles, springboks, impalas, kudus and wildebeest are all types of antelope. Antelopes live in large herds to protect themselves against predators. All males, and some females, have horns.

Camels

There are two kinds of camel: the dromedary, from Africa and Arabia, which has a single hump, and the Bactrian camel, from Asia, which has two. Camels live in deserts or dry scrublands. Their flat, wide feet help them to walk over soft sand.

Cattle, sheep and goats

Cattle, bison, buffalo, oxen, sheep and goats are all bovids. They have bony horns and hooves that are split into two toes. Bovids graze on grass or other plants. They are ruminants: their stomachs are divided into compartments that break down grasses in stages. In cattle, the food comes back to the mouth to be chewed again. This is known as chewing the cud.

Deer

Deer are long-legged, two-toed hooved mammals. They feed on leaves, grass, twigs or shoots. The muntjac, elk (wapiti) and reindeer (caribou) are all kinds of deer. Some deer are tiny creatures less than 0.5 metres (1.6 feet) tall. The mighty moose, one of the world's largest land animals, is also a deer. It can be more than 2 metres (6.6 feet) tall at the shoulder.

All deer are ruminants: their stomachs are divided into compartments that break down grasses in stages. Male deer, called bucks (or stags if they are large), have antlers made of bone. They shed and regrow their antlers each year. Female deer are called hinds or does. Young deer are called fawns.

Elephants

Elephants are the largest land animals in the world. They have large ears, long trunks and tusks. There are three kinds of elephant: the African plains elephant, the Africa forest elephant and the Asian elephant. Elephants are highly intelligent animals. Females stay in family groups, while males travel alone or in small bands. They eat grass and other plants. They may live for up to around 70 years.

Giraffes

Standing over 5 metres (16 feet) tall, the giraffe is the world's tallest animal. Its extremely long neck enables it to feed on leaves from trees higher up than any other animal can reach. But it also makes it difficult to drink: it has to splay its legs wide to reach down to the water.

The pattern on a giraffe's coat acts as camouflage, helping it to blend in with its surroundings. Giraffes live in small herds on the African savanna. They use their excellent eyesight to spot predators from far away. They can run at over 50 kilometres per hour (30 mph).

The hippopotamus lives in the rivers and lakes of Africa. Its skin dries out quickly in the hot sunshine, so it spends around 16 hours a day lazing in cool water or mud. It comes out at night to feed on short grasses. Hippos are powerful, fierce animals. They have huge, sharp teeth. Males use them in fights with other males.

Horses

Horses, asses and zebras are hooved mammals that live in grasslands and scrubland. They feed mainly on grass. All horses have a mane of hair on their necks. Baby horses, called foals, can walk soon after birth. Horses have excellent eyesight. They can spot a predator in almost any direction. They can also run at top speed for long distances. Many horses are domesticated. They are used for riding, racing and pulling ploughs or carriages.

Llamas

The llama family all live in the Andes mountains of South America. They are related to camels. They feed on grass and other plants. They get all the water they need from this food. There are four kinds: llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuña. The llama and alpaca are domesticated animals. The llama has long been used as a beast of burden. Alpacas are bred for their wool. The guanaco and vicuña still live in the wild.

Pigs have short legs, a large head and a stocky body. They are covered with bristly hair. Pigs have four toes on each foot, although they walk on only the middle two. Two of their teeth curve upwards to form tusks. These are used for rooting around in the mud for food. Pigs also sniff out plants, fungi and small animals to eat. The pig family includes the domestic pig, wild boar, warthog and babirusa. The peccary is a more distant relative.

Reindeer are known as caribou in North America. They live in the tundra, the treeless lands bordering the Arctic Ocean. Reindeer feed in herds, grazing on grasses, lichen and other small plants. In autumn, males compete with rival males for mating with females. They roar and push each other with their antlers. This is called rutting. A female reindeer gives birth to one or two calves each year. In winter, the herds migrate south to warmer forests.

Rhinoceroses

Rhinoceroses have one or two horns on their snout. They will charge at other animals, including humans, if they believe them to be a threat. There are five kinds: the black and white African rhinos and the Indian, Sumatran and Javan rhinos. All except the white are endangered because of hunting for their horns.

Tapirs

Tapirs are bulky animals with trunk-like snouts. They live in the rainforests of Central and South America and Southeast Asia. They eat leaves or fruit. They spend much time wallowing in rivers feeding on water plants. They are solitary creatures, coming out to feed only at night.

Zebras

Zebras are wild horses from eastern and southern Africa. The stripy pattern on their coats may act as camouflage, confusing predators by making it hard for them to pick out individuals. Zebras gather in large herds to graze on the savanna grasses. They also eat bark, leaves, buds and fruit. No two sets of stripes are exactly the same from one zebra to the next. Zebras sleep standing up. They only sleep when there are other zebras nearby to warn of predators.