406:
497:
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34:
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179:
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birds in having functional claws on the thumb and index finger (digits I and II) on the forelimbs as chicks, allowing them to climb trees until the adult plumage with flight feathers develop. However, several birds have a claw- or nail-like structure hidden under the feathers at the end of the
170:. The unguis grows outward faster than the subunguis to produce a curve and the thinner sides of the claw wear away faster than their thicker middle, producing a more or less sharp point. Tetrapods use their claws in many ways, commonly to grasp or kill prey, to dig and to climb and hang.
229:
on the inside of the front paws. It is much less functional than the other claws but does help the cats to grasp prey. Because the dew claw does not touch the ground, it receives less wear and tends to be sharper and longer.
429:
use claws on their inner toe (digit I) for defence and have been known to disembowel people. All birds, however, have claws, which are used as general holdfasts and protection for the tip of the digits.
302:
nails consist of the unguis alone, as the subunguis has disappeared. With the evolution of grasping hands and feet, claws are no longer necessary for locomotion, and instead most digits exhibit
330:
have functional claws on all other digits except the hallux, including a grooming claw on the second toe. Less commonly known, a grooming claw is also found on the second pedal digit of
425:, its primary hunting tool. The talons are very important; without them, most birds of prey would not be able to catch their food. Some birds also use claws for defensive purposes.
662:
Maiolino, S.; Boyer, D. M.; Rosenberger, A. (2011). "Morphological
Correlates of the Grooming Claw in Distal Phalanges of Platyrrhines and Other Primates: A Preliminary Study".
271:
are often seen working old unguis layers off on wood or on boards made for the purpose. Ungulates' hooves wear or self-trim by ground contact. Domesticated
158:
is the harder external layer, which consists of keratin fibers arranged perpendicular to the direction of growth and in layers at an oblique angle. The
214:, almost all of whose members have fully protractible claws. Outside of the cat family, retractable claws are found only in certain species of the
728:"Predatory Functional Morphology in Raptors: Interdigital Variation in Talon Size Is Related to Prey Restraint and Immobilisation Technique"
384:
Most reptiles have well-developed claws. Most lizards have toes ending in stout claws. In snakes, feet and claws are absent, but in many
977:
870:
405:
134:
instead. Claw-like projections that do not form at the end of digits but spring from other parts of the foot are properly named
1003:
611:
241:
to a claw but is flatter and has a curved edge instead of a point. A nail that is big enough to bear weight is called a "
162:
is the softer, flaky underside layer whose grain is parallel to the direction of growth. The claw grows outward from the
561:
1077:
999:
259:. In a hair, this results in the hair falling out and being replaced by a new one. In claws, this results in an
394:, remnants of highly reduced hind-limbs emerge with a single claw as "spurs" on each side of the anal opening.
697:
Alibardi, L. (2008). "Microscopic analysis of lizard claw morphogenesis and hypothesis on its evolution".
1023:(Lissamphibia: Anura) reveal alternate pathways of structural evolution in the integument of tetrapods"
834:
Cho, Patricia; Brown, Rosanne; Anderson, Marilyn (1984-01-01). "Comparative gross anatomy of ratites".
603:
596:
The Big Cats and their fossil relatives: an illustrated guide to their evolution and natural history
496:
1093:
726:
Fowler, Denver W.; Freedman, Elizabeth A.; Scannella, John B. (2009-11-25). Pizzari, Tom (ed.).
504:
The scientifically correct term for the "claw" of an arthropod, such as a lobster or crab, is a
27:
985:
911:
20:
397:
Lizard claws are used as aids in climbing, and in holding down prey in carnivorous species.
739:
410:
8:
1080:
from the original on 16 April 2022), also explains much about mammalian claws in general.
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459:
377:
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1018:
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238:
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at the base of the unguis and the subunguis grows thicker while travelling across the
123:, but may also be used for such purposes as digging, climbing trees, self-defense and
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1038:
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have claws, which vary considerably in length and shape. Claws grow out of the third
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layer, and the old segment breaks off. This process takes several months for
191:
130:
Similar appendages that are flat and do not come to a sharp point are called
78:
16:
Curved, pointed appendage at the end of a digit of a mammal, bird, or reptile
1056:
899:
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683:
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442:
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331:
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is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most
820:
648:
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Soligo, C.; MĂĽller, A. E. (1999). "Nails and claws in primate evolution".
203:
109:
535:
471:
358:
260:
219:
215:
77:
have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or
1017:
Maddin, HC; Eckhart, L; Jaeger, K; Russell, AP; Ghannadan, M (2009).
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455:
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187:
90:
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the tips of its fingers to unsheathe the sharp points of its last
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Every so often, the growth of claws stops and restarts, as does
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311:
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222:). A claw that is retractable is protected from wear and tear.
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94:
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hand digits, notably ostriches, emus, ducks, geese and kiwis.
318:, used for grooming, can be found on the second toe in living
276:
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82:
62:
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120:
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1016:
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has claw analogues on its feet; the frog intentionally
291:, as a consequence of reduced activity on hard ground.
306:. However, claw-like nails are found in small-bodied
871:"Parallel radiations in the primary clades of birds"
81:
for gripping a surface as they walk. The pincers of
795:"Avian clinical pathology. General considerations"
206:claws that can partially hide inside the animal's
245:". (Nevertheless, one side of the cloven-hoof of
1085:
945:Transactions of the Zoological Society of London
833:
462:. Claws evolved separately in the amphibian and
500:Beetle's claws on scanning electron microscope
1019:"The anatomy and development of the claws of
26:"Talons" redirects here. For other uses, see
696:
626:
593:
108:. Claws are used to catch and hold prey in
969:
41:'s retractable claw in protracted position
1046:
810:
769:
751:
937:"On the Morphology of a Reptilian Bird,
495:
404:
371:
357:
177:
32:
869:Fain, Matthew G.; Houde, Peter (2004).
862:
655:
1086:
1004:New Zealand Electronic Text Collection
934:
792:
594:Turner, Alan; AntĂłn, Mauricio (1997).
987:A History of the Birds of New Zealand
620:
287:) usually need regular trimming by a
559:
362:At just under a meter, the claws of
514:). Legs bearing a chela are called
13:
957:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1891.tb00045.x
314:or big toe. A laterally flattened
14:
1105:
1067:
376:Using its claws for anchoring, a
1039:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01052.x
713:10.1111/j.1463-6395.2007.00312.x
1010:
963:
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368:are among the largest recorded.
225:Most cats and dogs also have a
154:and consist of two layers. The
93:, more formally known as their
827:
786:
719:
690:
587:
562:"On the Spurs on Birds' Wings"
553:
322:, and the second and third in
127:, in those and other species.
100:A true claw is made of a hard
97:, are sometimes called claws.
1:
812:10.1080/01652176.1987.9694109
546:
485:
449:
252:may also be called a claw).
210:, especially the cat family,
753:10.1371/journal.pone.0007999
194:of the paws and are made of
141:
7:
529:
353:
294:
10:
1110:
1002:on 2021-10-20 – via
629:Journal of Human Evolution
489:
173:
25:
18:
604:Columbia University Press
520:. Chelae are also called
310:on all digits except the
400:
182:A claw sheath from a cat
996:Sir Walter Lawry Buller
935:Parker, W. K. (1891).
848:10.1002/zoo.1430030205
793:Lumeij, J. T. (1987).
641:10.1006/jhev.1998.0263
501:
458:to bear claws are the
414:
381:
369:
346:), and possibly other
183:
42:
28:Talon (disambiguation)
664:The Anatomical Record
499:
470:) line. However, the
408:
375:
361:
181:
36:
21:Claw (disambiguation)
982:(South-Island Kiwi)"
974:Buller, Walter Lawry
799:Veterinary Quarterly
606:. pp. 130–133.
460:African clawed frogs
411:Eurasian sparrowhawk
150:, claws are made of
19:For other uses, see
939:Opisthocomus hoazin
744:2009PLoSO...4.7999F
569:The Wilson Bulletin
560:Rand, A.L. (1954).
1027:Journal of Anatomy
502:
415:
382:
370:
184:
43:
980:Apteryx australis
886:(11): 2558–2573.
670:(12): 1975–1990.
613:978-0-231-10228-5
441:are unique among
421:is the claw of a
348:New World monkeys
218:(and the extinct
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998:. Archived from
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1068:External links
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1021:Xenopus laevis
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892:10.1554/04-235
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842:(2): 133–144.
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805:(3): 249–254.
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707:(2): 169–178.
700:Acta Zoologica
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1000:the original
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951:(2): 43–89.
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919:. Retrieved
912:the original
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577:. Retrieved
575:(2): 127–134
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432:
423:bird of prey
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378:green lizard
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267:thumbnails.
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44:
836:Zoo Biology
579:16 November
427:Cassowaries
247:artiodactyl
204:protractile
188:carnivorans
164:nail matrix
110:carnivorous
37:A domestic
921:2016-07-08
547:References
536:Horse hoof
486:Arthropods
476:dislocates
472:hairy frog
456:amphibians
450:Amphibians
344:Callicebus
261:abscission
239:homologous
220:Nimravidae
216:Viverridae
1074:Rat Claws
879:Evolution
856:1098-2361
762:1932-6203
517:chelipeds
480:phalanges
454:The only
409:Claws of
250:ungulates
200:predatory
192:phalanges
160:subunguis
148:tetrapods
142:Tetrapods
91:scorpions
1088:Category
1078:archived
1057:19422431
976:(1888).
900:15612298
780:19946365
732:PLoS ONE
684:22042603
530:See also
510:(plural
388:such as
354:Reptiles
328:Aye-ayes
324:tarsiers
295:Primates
168:nail bed
125:grooming
115:such as
87:lobsters
69:such as
65:). Some
59:reptiles
51:amniotes
1048:2736125
908:1296408
821:3314103
771:2776979
740:Bibcode
649:9924135
541:Dactyly
523:pincers
464:amniote
435:hoatzin
300:Primate
289:farrier
281:donkeys
227:dewclaw
212:Felidae
198:. Many
196:keratin
174:Mammals
152:keratin
113:mammals
106:keratin
104:called
102:protein
75:spiders
71:beetles
55:mammals
1055:
1045:
992:London
906:
898:
854:
819:
778:
768:
760:
682:
647:
610:
512:chelae
443:extant
439:turaco
380:basks.
312:hallux
277:horses
273:equids
156:unguis
95:chelae
79:tarsus
915:(PDF)
904:S2CID
874:(PDF)
565:(PDF)
507:chela
419:talon
401:Birds
386:boids
340:titis
336:Aotus
304:nails
285:mules
265:human
136:spurs
132:nails
83:crabs
63:birds
1053:PMID
896:PMID
852:ISSN
817:PMID
776:PMID
758:ISSN
680:PMID
645:PMID
608:ISBN
581:2012
437:and
433:The
283:and
269:Cats
257:hair
243:hoof
235:nail
186:All
121:dogs
119:and
117:cats
89:and
73:and
47:claw
1043:PMC
1035:doi
1031:214
972:Sir
953:doi
888:doi
844:doi
807:doi
766:PMC
748:doi
709:doi
672:doi
668:294
637:doi
338:),
237:is
208:paw
146:In
39:cat
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