Page 13 - Dog
P. 13
Vertebrae in the neck have very powerful ONE LEFT FOOT
muscle attachments, enabling the wolf to So that the wolf can
bring down and kill its prey Pelvis, or hip walk on its toes, the
bones of the feet are
Scapula, or extended.
shoulder blade
Digit, or first
toe, is shorter Carpal
and not used bone,
for walking or
wrist
Last pairs of ribs are bone
said to be “floating”
because they are not
attached to Metacarpal
the sternum, bone, or toe
or breastbone bone
Tail bone
Claw
High knee gives
the greatest length
to leg and foot
Left front foot of
Sternum, or North American wolf
breastbone, is
made of soft bones
and cartilage, so it
can move as the
wolf breathes
Hock, or ankle joint, has
very strong attachments
for the ligaments
Hind foot has only
four toes – there is
no dewclaw
(pp. 6–7)
in wild
canids
KEEPING TRACKS
Skeleton of North American wolf These large-sized tracks
show that a wolf has
recently crossed the snow-
packed Arctic tundra in
Femur northern Canada.
German
shepherd
Orbital
muscle Neck muscle
Shoulder
muscle
Tongue
Backbone
Kidney PUMPING IRON Jaw
muscles
Bladder The muscles encase
the skeleton and Throat
Trachea give it flexibility. muscle
They are fueled by
oxygen in the blood.
Small Chest
intestine muscle
Heart THE INSIDE STORY
The lungs breathe in oxygen,
which is picked up by the blood Ligaments Arm
Stomach Internal and pumped around the body of foot muscle
organs of by the heart. The stomach
Tail German receives food, which supplies
bone Duodenum shepherd energy to the dog, and waste Muscle system
products are excreted through of German
the large intestine. shepherd
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