# Are all ungulants ruminants?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-ungulants-ruminants/332085>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 21, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-ungulants-ruminants/332085 "2005-11-21T15:40:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-ungulants-ruminants/332085/1 "2005-11-21T15:40:45Z")

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and vise versa?

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-ungulants-ruminants/332085/2 "2005-11-21T16:30:17Z")

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Aw, Jeez. Now, I’ve got _John The Ruminator_ running through my head.

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**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-ungulants-ruminants/332085/3 "2005-11-21T17:13:26Z")

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No. Informally, ungulates are any mammal with hooves, and there are plenty of hooved mammals which are not ruminants. Horses, for example.

Formally, ungulates are members of the clade Ungulatomorpha, which includes the familiar hooved mammals (both perissodactyls [horses, tapirs, rhinos], and artiodactyls [most other hooved forms, except hippos and pigs]), but also includes cetaceans, manatees and elephants. Ruminantia (ruminants) is a subclade of Artiodactyla, and includes giraffes, Bovoidea and Cervoidea.

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**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-ungulants-ruminants/332085/4 "2005-11-21T17:15:58Z")

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Bovoidea = cows and relatives  
Cervoidea = deer and relatives