You go into the room: in the room there are 2 dogs, 4 cats on the bed. there is a giraffe and 5 hippos. 3 chickens fly and one goose sits (small-small). How many legs are in the room?
As the authors of the answer insist: the correct answer is 6 (six). Because two legs and four legs by the bed. This is provided that the person is not disabled and the bed has four legs, and not two, as, for example, on beds where two backs protrude as legs. And even in general, beds without legs ... You go in is not equal to. Ergo, the number of your feet in the room is from 0 to 2 😉
BUT! Why do we forget about giraffe and hippos? Do they have paws? No! No! And again no! They have legs !!! Chickens are also questionable. There are chicken legs in the shops. And the paws are at the bear :) And at the bunny.
As a result, a simple children's puzzle turns into a classification of limbs, like on the forum of zootechnicians! 🙂
Large dictionary tells us that “ LEG - One of the two lower limbs of a person, as well as one of the limbs of birds, some animals. Right n. Left n. Hind, front legs of a cow. Male, female legs. Tanned legs. Beautiful, slender, long, short, full, crooked legs ... " And at the same time, “2. Support, lower part (furniture, structure, mechanism, etc.); leg. A chair on three legs. N. chassis. Construction legs". Although, again, even here we are talking about legs, not legs. And in the task, they clearly asked to name the number of legs, not legs.
And okay, more flying chickens. But because of them, I remember the hut on chicken (attention !!!) legs, not paws! The bird's leg consists of the thigh, drumstick, metatarsus, and toes.
In addition to flying chickens, there are also sleeping cats, which in a dream can take their paws under themselves and a sitting goose ... he may not be able to see them either. And what is not visible is not the fact that it exists! 🙂
But, let's turn to the classics of the genre:
The cat has four legs,
She has a long tail behind,
But you can't touch her
For her small stature, small stature ...
Based on this, the limbs of cats also need to be counted?
Yes, I'm such a boring guy - trying to get to the bottom of insignificant details! But, in fact, these details fundamentally change the answer to the question.
There can be no 100% correct answer, there is not enough data. For example, among animals there may be crippled ones with an insufficient number of limbs 🙂 Another opinion is that the Paw is soft. If you follow the letter, then a person also has paws, and not legs. But ungulates have legs just.
By the way, the main requirement from the distributors of this riddle was - in case of an incorrect answer, put a giraffe on your avatar. Some kind of society of giraffe lovers ... Because anyone who takes part in this riddle gives a priori the wrong answer. But I have collected a collection of giraffes from people who bought this divorce! 😉
Eye structure Pupil in bright light Pupil at Pupil in the dark
Vision in cats is based on the body's ability to detect light - the visible part of electromagnetic radiation. The eyes of a cat are large compared to the head and slightly protruding. If a person had the same large eyes (in relation to body size), they would be about 20 cm in diameter. Essentially, the eye is a liquid-filled ball located in the orbit of the skull. On the back of the eyeball are many muscles that move the eye in different directions. The lens, pupil and ciliary body divide the eye into two parts: the anterior chamber of the eye, filled with intraocular fluid, and the posterior chamber, filled with the vitreous humor. The outer dense layer of the eye is called the sclera. In front of the sclera, it forms a transparent window called the cornea. Normal pressure inside the eye is maintained by the formation and removal of intraocular fluid. When this mechanism is disrupted, intraocular pressure begins to grow, the eye grows in size, and the cornea becomes cloudy. This condition is called glaucoma.The lens acts as a lens and is attached by ligaments to the ciliary body, which contains the muscles.The lens refracts the light flux,and focus the image
containing a colored substance - a pigment, which are discolored under the action of light, while the pigment molecules change their shape, which leads to the appearance of an electric potential. Photoreceptors vary in shape and are divided into two types: rods and cones. The sticks contain one pigment, so they provide twilight colorless vision. There are three types of pigments in cones; they form the basis of color daytime vision. The ratio of rods to cones in animals different types is different. The ability to distinguish small details (visual acuity) is provided by cones. In the retina, there is a place of best vision, which in humans has the shape of a fossa, and in a cat - a disc. In a cat, as a crepuscular animal, the retina of the eye is mainly supplied with rods, and only in the central part of the retina, in the area of \u200b\u200bacute vision, cones are concentrated. Turns of the head and gaze help the image of the object fall into the area of \u200b\u200bbetter vision on the retina. In addition to photoreceptors, there are several layers of nerve cells in the retina, from which an electrical signal is sent to the brain through the optic nerve. The paths from the right and left eyes intersect, so information from both eyes arrives in each hemisphere of the brain. The spaces that the cat sees with the right and left eyes (visual fields) overlap in front by 45% so that the animal can see the same object with both eyes at the same time. This is the basis of the animal's ability to determine the shape of an object and the distance to it. Cats, from a distance of one meter, distinguish the distance of the platform to which they jump, with an accuracy of 3-5 cm. Information from the retina comes to the visual area of \u200b\u200bthe cerebral cortex, where its most essential processing takes place. Nerve cells in the cerebral cortex change their activity depending on whether the cat is shown a luminous line, a spot or a mouse. If cats lose their sight in early age, then the area of \u200b\u200bneurons associated with vision in the cerebral cortex decreases, and due to them the number of neurons associated with the differentiation of auditory and skin stimuli increases. The whiskers of these cats become 30% longer than those of sighted cats. The increased role of hearing, smell and other sense organs compensates for the loss of vision so well that the behavior of such animals is no different from that of normal animals. However, disturbances in the cerebral visual structural will lead to the fact that the delicate psyche of animals, the nuances of mood will not be reflected in the beautiful eyes of the cat.
normal light
object on the retina. When viewing objects at different distances from the eyes, accommodation occurs - the image is focused exactly on the retina by changing the shape of the lens, and it regulates the flow of light to the retina. In nocturnal animals, the eyes are large, with a large pupil, in daytime animals, much smaller. Cats that see in the dark but like to bask in the sun have a pupilslit , since it is better than round, reduces the luminous flux to the sensitive retina.At the back of the eye is a reflective membrane that reflects light. A cat's eyes are capable of glowing green at night, as small beams of light are reflected from this shell. In the choroid, which consists of a network of blood vessels feeding the eyes, at the exit of the optic nerve is a layer of cells with crystalline inclusions - a mirror.The back of the eye is covered by the retina, which is part of the brain. Light enters the retina through the pupil. On the retina, the light flux hits the photoreceptors. In the depths of the eyeball (retina) with visual cells are Photoreceptors - these are cells
 | In front, the eye is protected by the upper and lower eyelids, lined with mucous membranes, which completely cover the eye when closed. Cats use their eyelids to regulate the amount of light entering the eye. The junction of the eyelids is called the corner of the eye. Cats have a third eyelid that adjoins closely to the inner corner of the eye. The third eyelid propels the tear fluid along the eye and additionally protects the eye. When the eye goes into the orbit, and this happens when you feel unwell or when the amount of lubricant in the back of the eye decreases, the third eyelid closes the eye halfway to protect it from damage. In a stressful state (a long trip in a car or at an exhibition), the eyes are closed by the third eyelid. The lacrimal gland is located under the third eyelid. Sometimes it increases and falls outside the third century, which is associated with certain problems. The inner surface of the eyelids in contact with the cornea is called the conjunctiva. Under the eyelids, the conjunctiva continues and forms the conjunctival sac. The surface of the eye is constantly wetted by a liquid (tear) that accumulates in the conjunctival sac. Its excess is allocated through a special channel located in the inner corner of the eye and going to the nose. With a large excess of tears, this channel becomes clogged, tears begin to flow along the front surface and can cause irritation and inflammation of the skin. The shape of the head, and especially the facial part of some flat-nosed breeds of long-haired cats, can be associated with difficulties in the outflow of tears, which leads to their accumulation in the corners of the eyes. Eyelashes grow at the junction of the skin and conjunctiva. Have |
some cats may have an extra row of eyelashes that chafe the cornea and cause irritation. For various reasons, the eyelids twist, then the eyelashes also begin to rub the cornea, which leads to an inflammation called entropion.
More recently, it was believed that cats do not have color vision at all and all the surrounding objects look black and white to them, much the same as we see them on the TV screen. However, it has now been established that cats are still able to distinguish, albeit worse than us, several colors. But what they distinguish much better than us is shades of gray, up to 25 shades. This peculiarity of vision can be explained by the coloration of their prey - mice and voles, whose fur color varies from light gray to dark gray and brownish gray. Primates, including humans, have never needed such a distinction between shades of gray, and therefore evolution did not give them this feature.
Ears
Looking at cats with a lot of fingers, you realize that something is wrong here. These multi-toed cats received such unusual paws right at birth. This is called polydactyly, a genetic abnormality that can occur in any animal, but is especially common in cats.
Usually a cat has five toes on its front legs and four on its hind legs. Polydactyl cats, as a rule, have 1-2 more toes on one paw than their usual representatives. In addition, the configuration of these fingers is different. The polydactyly gene manifests itself in 40-50% of cases and does not depend on the sex of the animal.
However, it was noticed that for the birth of a multi-fingered kitten, one of its parents must have this feature. Polydactyly is considered a fairly common anomaly among the feline fraternity, which does not harm their musculoskeletal abilities, and even, on the contrary, there is only one benefit from such a number of fingers for cats.
The only problem noted by the owners of such cats is the more frequent need to trim the nails on the extra fingers. And also the offspring of polydactyl cats have a wider and heavier bone structure, compared to the offspring obtained from the most common cats.
Interestingly, the inhabitants of New England (northeastern USA), where this phenomenon is very common among Maine Coons, consider them to be aborigines of these lands. There is an opinion there that they are excellent hunters, and extra fingers make them more agile, tenacious and stable, allowing them to move freely through deep snow without falling into it.
It is said that some pets used their miracle paws to catch fish, which, having caught, they brought to their owners in especially hungry times. In addition, polydactyl cats were highly prized by seafarers for their unique qualities used in catching rats and mice. Also, by many travelers, they were considered animals that bring good luck.
Polydactyly is most common among cats living in western England, Wales, New England, and Canada. Previously, it was believed that this mutation is characteristic of ship cats, which supposedly should have been able to cling more strongly to the deck on the ship. It is quite understandable that all this is only human speculation.
However, polydactyly can occur completely spontaneously in any type of cat, and the animals themselves do not need to be familiar with each other. In the 1998 article "Cat Watch" published by Cornell University ( Cornell University), USA, it is said that studies conducted from 1940 to 1970 showed that this trait was quite likely present in cats that arrived with Puritans from England to Boston in the middle of the 17th century. It is also assumed that this mutation originated in animals already living in the Boston area.
According to scientists, the immediate descendants of polydactyls could live on board many merchant ships that came to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Yarmouth (Massachusetts), where the population of such cats is especially numerous. It is interesting that in Europe you will hardly find many-fingered cats, since in the Middle Ages any cat with an extraordinary appearance was killed due to prejudices, which at that time were associated with witchcraft and magic.
Unlike all sorts of other mutations, polydactyly is not a hindrance to cats, and may even be beneficial to them. There are people "polydatkty" who specially breed such cats and are proud of their pets. There were many famous personalities in the world who had polydactyl cats.
For example, American President Theodore Roosevelt had a polydactic cat named Slippers, who became one of the first cats to settle in the White House. This cat was often the center of attention at many press conferences and official receptions of the time.
In addition, the many-fingered cats lived with the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. A well-known six-toed cat named Snowball ( Snowball). This cat was a gift from sea captain Stanley Dexter, who was the writer's drinking companion. Although another publication wrote that this captain gave Hemingway a multi-fingered cat named Princess. In those days, sailors firmly believed that 6-toed cats bring incredible luck.
Whatever it was, but Ernest Hemingway popularized his polydactic cats. About 60 cats still live in his Key West estate, which are fed and cherished in memory of the writer. Half of these cats are typical polydacty, it is likely that they are direct descendants of Snowball.
Some polydactyl cats have so-called mitten paws. Such a paw is formed by "extra" toes attached to inside paws. Many cats can move these fingers in the same way as humans. Such representatives of the feline world can easily open any doors. Cats with their toes in line are called snowshoe paws or pancake paws. Outwardly, their paws are similar to lynxes. Thanks to this structure, these cats can easily move in deep snow.
Due to the large number of toes on their paws, some cats got into the Guinness Book of Records. For example, a cat named Jake, owned by Michelle and Paul Contant from Ontario (Canada), had 28 fingers. She was listed in the Book of Records in 2002. Already in 2011, a kitten named Fred was born, who also had 28 fingers, and he, in turn, has a brother, Ned, with 26 fingers! These are the statistics ...
Looking at the paws of a pet, gathered in a fist or blissfully outstretched, we often ask ourselves the question: how many fingers does a cat have? And when we try to count them, we can get completely unexpected results.
Usually cats have eighteen fingers. Five on the front legs (with four located side by side, and the fifth at a distance) and four on the hind legs.
When walking, only four fingers touch the surface. The fifth toes on the front feet are for climbing only.
On each of the fingers there is a sharp sickle-shaped claw, which help the animal deftly climb tree trunks, repulse attacks of relatives and tenaciously grab fleeing game. Some intellectuals use their claws as an improvised fork: they prick pieces of food on them and send them into their mouths.
The claws of cats are retractable. With the help of muscles and tendons, they are drawn into a kind of "scabbard", without interfering with the animal running, without touching hard surfaces and therefore not dull. When the cat is ready to grab the prey, it spreads its fingers and releases its formidable weapon from its "sheath". This feature is inherent in all representatives of the feline family, except for the cheetah.
Sometimes it happens that a cat is born with a few extra fingers. This is a genetic trait called polydactyly.
Extra toes can be flush with or spaced apart from the other four, like a human's thumbs. The first option is called postaxial polydactyly, and the second is called preaxial. Paws with spaced toes are called "mittens", and wide multi-toed feet are called "snowshoes." Neither form of polydactyly causes animals the slightest 
inconvenience. This is not ugliness, but only a structural feature.
An abnormal number of fingers can be in both a cat and a cat. Most often, this phenomenon occurs on the front legs or simultaneously on the front and rear. Cases of hindlimb polydactyly are extremely rare.
Positive and negative properties of polydactyly
Polydactyly has many benefits:
- A cat with extra toes is easy to hold on any surface;
- Can move quickly in snow or swim;
- Freely uses door handles for their intended purpose;
- Steps completely silently and can sneak very close to the prey;
- With great dexterity, he catches fish in a stream or a home aquarium.
However, in some cases, a completely different gene may be responsible for the development of poly-fingering - the one due to which the limbs in cats are deformed, the joints are bent, and the ingrowth of claws is manifested. Such animals need treatment in a veterinary clinic.
The most dangerous deviation is thumb with three phalanges. In animals with such a defect, underdeveloped kittens can be born. Individuals with three-phalanx toes are subject to mandatory 
sterilization.
Usually, the gene that is responsible for the presence of polydactyly is inherited. If at least one of the parents has more fingers than normal, some of the offspring will necessarily be multi-fingered. But since this is a recessive gene, the rest of the kittens will have perfectly normal paws.
A bit of history
In the old days, the phenomenon of polydactyly was especially often observed in Maine Coons. Almost half of the animals of this breed had an additional number of fingers. Locals believed that this feature helps Maine Coons not to fall into the snow and deftly catch fish.
Breeding cats with many toes is currently discouraged. Only in the Netherlands and Belgium can you still find polydactic Maine Coons, where they are bred for experimental purposes. Most breeders do not encourage such experiments, which may lead to the appearance of individuals with too many fingers: for example, in 1974, a case was recorded when a cat was born that had thirty-two fingers.
According to some researchers, cats with an abnormal number of toes came to North America in the 17th century. Other scientists believe that a similar phenomenon may have been observed in local cats.
Be that as it may, cats with paws that looked like little mittens, along with seafarers, plowed the ocean on the ships of the American merchant fleet. Here they were considered animals that bring good luck and happiness. According to legends, large paws equipped with a large number of toes help them stay in place during fierce storms, and it is much more convenient to catch mice with such paws.
In the United States of America, polydactic cats are also called "Hemingway" in memory of the famous writer Ernest Hemingway and his favorite polydact, named Snowball. Theodore Roosevelt also had a similar cat - the first polydact that brought good luck to White 
Home.
Front legs
As mentioned above, cats normally have five toes on their front paws. A polydact may have from six to eight. An interesting fact: these animals have a more powerful, heavy skeletal structure. The most developed in this case are rib cage and forelimbs.
Hind legs
The traditional number of toes on the hind legs of our favorites is four on each. In polydactics, the number of toes on the hind paw can reach six, but this feature is very rare.
Bigfoot intellectuals
Many owners of multi-fingered cats, especially Maine Coons, note that their pets have remarkable intelligence, comparable to that of a human. With the members of the family in which they live, polydactics have a very special relationship and understanding, bordering on telepathy.
Such animals should be started only by those who do not have a bias against having extra fingers. Some people perceive such an anomaly as ugliness, others, like many centuries ago, see a mystical meaning in this.
In fact, this is just a feature of the appearance.
Interesting video:
Spreading refers to the eversion of the limbs and pasterns to the sides. In this case, there is a turn of the forearms outward, and the elbows - to the chest, inward. Pathology can affect one, or both legs at once.
What is paw markings in dogs?
There are a huge number of provoking factors. The main reason is considered to be the cultivation of suckling puppies in an overly narrow pen.
Measuring the front paws of the dog.
The main provoking factors
The main reasons for the development of spreading include:
- An overabundance of animal proteins.
- Deficiency of animal proteins.
- Excess minerals.
- Deficiency of minerals.
- Insufficient walking.
- Excessive physical activity.
Insufficient walking of the dog can lead to the development of size.
There are cases of genetic predisposition to size. This is due to the incorrect structure of the ligamentous apparatus.
Other provoking factors
Other reasons for the progression of this pathology include:
- Rapid growth of the puppy.
- Slippery floors.
- Rapid change of teeth.
The rapid growth of a puppy is one of the causes of pathology.
How to fix paw markings in dogs
Do not give your growing dog a very large amount of food.... Otherwise, the load on the already weak ligaments will be increased.
A growing puppy doesn't need to be given a lot of food.
In some animals, mating can be corrected only after eight to nine months, and only partially.
This applies to pets with small, narrow breasts, as well as those dogs whose pathology has developed due to the incorrect position of the front paws.
From 8-9 months of age, it is necessary to provide the animal with a sufficient load on the chest muscles. This can be done with:
- games in the water;
- carrying weights uphill;
- quick climbing stairs.
How to feed
Large breed dogs have much more food than their smaller breeds.
- It is best to give the animal a well-balanced hypoallergenic food ... Food must be appropriate for the age of the dog. It is important to remember that an excess of minerals is no less harmful than a deficiency. Diet supplements should be administered under the strict supervision of a veterinarian.
- Place the bowl as low as possible when feeding... Bending down for food, the pet should slightly bend its legs. The elbows will part at the same time. It is advisable to place the bowl below ground level and between the paws.
- The number of meals depends on the breed... Large, massive puppies, up to one and a half years old, need to be fed at least 3 times / day.
- The puppy must feel the ribs ... Excess weight contributes to the aggravation of symptoms and the development of other pathologies.
The dog should be fed a balanced diet.
Performing special exercises
If a little puppy has been spotted, then it must be taken in such a way that it fits on the owner's hand, and his limbs hang down on both sides.
- It is necessary to gently stroke the metacarpus, bend and gently unbend the joint. This manipulation is performed 3-4 rubles / 24 hours. It is necessary to start with one and a half to two minutes. The time should be gradually increased.
- If the pathology was diagnosed in a 3-4 month old puppy, then the animal that has eaten and walked should be placed on the floor or table. Having passed the palm between the forelimbs by about 6-12 cm, it is necessary to raise and lower the paws several times.
- Having held the limbs in this state for 5–6 seconds, the palm should be pulled out sharply. This exercise is performed at least 4 rubles / 24 hours. Each of the approaches involves about 15 drops.
Also, this exercise is performed on a soft bedding or delicate soil.
Exercises should be performed on a mat.
Walking with a puppy
With a puppy that can walk on a leash, you can do healing exercises while walking.
If the puppy is leash-trained, then the exercise can be outdoors.
If the dog runs ahead, it should be stopped by command. Then you need to gently raise it on a leash, 8-15 cm. After 3-5 seconds, you need to carefully put the pet on the ground. Particular attention should be paid to how the dog puts its paws.
This manipulation can be performed only after the pet has completed large and small needs.
Dog activity
A puppy digging a hole can relieve the symptoms of sweating.
In order to diversify the exercise, you should turn it into a game. You can take the puppy's favorite toy for a walk and bury it in front of him. After that, you need to give him the command "Search!" or "Dig!"
Walking up a long hill on a triangular belt helps to get rid of the symptoms of swelling. It is desirable to make it to order. At the same time, her skin between the limbs acts as a spacer. This exercise is done from 12 months. Over time, the load increases.
Static exercises
Doing static exercise is a great health benefit for your pet.
After exercise, the dog should be allowed to run.
For this, the animal must be placed in a rack. The limbs are positioned as the owner needs it. If possible, then the paws must be fixed.
Standing times vary from 15 to 20 minutes. After completing this exercise, you need to play with your pet, letting him run well.
If there is no opportunity to replace the surface of the floors, then you need to walk with your pet daily along:
- fine gravel;
- sand;
- deep snow.
It is advisable to walk with the puppy on the sand every day.
The duration of the walks is 120–140 minutes.
Physical activity should correspond to the age and characteristics of the breed of the animal... Exercise is required to strengthen the muscles that support the ligaments.
Gallery with paw markings
Video about correcting paw markings in dogs