Odd Toed Ungulates!
You may have wondered why I did not put these guys with the Hoofed Mammals section, seeing as that horses do indeed have hooves. There is a very good Taxonomic reason. These guys aren't ruminants, they do not chew their cud. If you watch a cow eat they will bite off a bit of grass, chew it for a bit, swallow it and then regurg it back up and chew it some more. It will cycle back and forth that way until it is ready to be fully digested. Even a giraffe, with their uber long necks will do it. But Horses' stomachs don't work that way. They swallow it once and that's it, their stomachs and colons do all of the digesting. Technically they are called hindgut fermenters. Other hindgut fermenters include: koalas, possums, wombats and pigs.
So, Horses, Rhinos and Tapirs are the three members of a taxonomic class called Odd-Toed Ungulates. (Cows and other hoofed mammals like antelopes are Even-Toed Ungulates.)
So, Horses, Rhinos and Tapirs are the three members of a taxonomic class called Odd-Toed Ungulates. (Cows and other hoofed mammals like antelopes are Even-Toed Ungulates.)
Zhevra
These guys could totally be hunter's pets because zebras are mean, ill tempered sons-of-bitches. A horse could do much more damage than a moth, just sayin'.
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Zebras
There are anywhere from 3-6 Zebra species depending on which scientist you talk to. The one here and the one I think best matches the Zhevra is the Grant's Zebra (Equus burchelli bohmi) as seen above.
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Domestic Horses
Mules being used in the capacity for which they were bred. These guys are a fine representation of the real-life mules, which are a Horse/Donkey hybrid and are usually infertile.
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Draft Horse
Clydesdale (left) and
Percheron (below) seem to be the inspiration for many of the horses in the game. It makes sense since these are the working horses, strong enough to pull carts and carry a fully armored knight into battle. 
Other horse breeds in-game: Palomino & Pinto.
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Carriages
An excellent use of horses, the only thing off is that they don't appear to be yoked, but are instead saddle and ready to ride. I'm not sure how they are pulling that carriage.
Horses stayed pretty much the same in MoP, but are used a lot less with the prevalence of goats and Yaks.
Rhinos!
These appear inspired by the now extinct Wooly Rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis) a rhino species last seen during the last ice age. It makes sense that these showed up in game in Northrend.
 
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Rhinos
 Black Rhino (Diceros Bicornis) - side note: Diceros Bicornis is the name of my Horde guild on Drenden. It's pretty much just me in there, but that's ok.
There are 5 species of rhino in the world. Black, White, Indian, Sumatran and Javan. Black and White are the two African species and the others live in Asia. All but the White rhino are endangered and ALL are still under heavy poaching pressures due to black market demand for their horns - some cultures WRONGLY believe the horn is a medicine. For much, much more visit here!
the Asian Rhinos
Sumatran (above left), Javan (above right),
Indian or Greater One-Horned (left), White (below left) |
Kodos
I'm going to put Kodos in the rhino category based on their large size and prominent horns. They move in a little too bulky a manner, though. Rhinos are related to horses; they move quite gracefully and are agile and light on their feet. I was so happy when they toned down the stomping that came with the rhino hunter pet. Rhinos are actually like ninjas - super quiet and able to sneak up on you. Trust me on this one, they can be stealthy little basterds.
My working life - what I do in meat-space.
This is Toshi, one of the many rhinos I have worked alongside. He's a Black Rhino (which is a mis-nomer, they are actually a grey-ish brown color) and these guys are one of my favorite to manage as a zoo keeper.
Tapirs
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Tapirs make up the 3rd in a triumvirate of Odd-Toed Ungulates. (Rhino and Equines are the other two.) Tapirs and Rhinos have 3 toes on each foot and a horse has 1 hoof per leg, that odd number of toes shares with it other physiological similarities including similar digestive tracks, similar reactions to medicines and similar skeletal structures. These guys are so awesome! They could be hunter pets! They could be mounts! They could be escort quests! This is my girl Megan. And the one I have just successfully tamed is named Adam, Megan's dad. These are Baird's Tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) , a Central American species.The babies look like cute brown watermelons. below is a Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indicus), an Asian species of Tapir. 
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Mushan
I'm just going to consider Mushan the Kodos of Pandaria. I am including them in the odd-toed ungulates (as opposed to even-toed or the usual hoofstock) because they have individual toes with nails instead of a cleft hoof and their body shape and stature seems to suggest a large grazing animal.
I know they are considered reptilian, but like the Kodo they serve the same function -as beasts of burden and as a source of meat.
I know they are considered reptilian, but like the Kodo they serve the same function -as beasts of burden and as a source of meat.
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Oh Miss Fanny, we had some good times. The quests in the Valley of the Four Winds were a lot of fun. |
Mounts
