Question

Claws are retractile in
A) Cats
B) Dogs
C) Fox
D) Hyaena

Answer 1

Retractile claws are the claws that can be retracted or extended by putting pressure in the end bone of the toe when it is necessary. The deep digital flexor muscle is responsible for the protraction of the claw. It is used as a formidable weapon.

Complete answer:
To answer this question, we must know about the type of claws present in the animals given in the question. A claw is an appendage found at the end of the toe or fingers of birds, reptiles and mammals. It is curved and pointed. The claw is made up of Keratin which is a hard protein.The claws are used as a weapon both for attacking the prey and also in defense.

A special type of retractile claws are present in few animals that can be retracted or extended by putting the pressure in the end bone of the toe. These animals can retract the claws when it is not in use. The mechanism of extending and retracting is carried out by pivoting the end bone of the toe which has claws over the tip of the next bone. This mechanism allows the claws to spread the toes widely. This makes the foot broad. This mechanism helps the members of the cat family (Felidae) for hunting as well as in defense.

-Dogs- The claws of the dogs are called dewclaws. The dogs use it for running, gripping and also for digging.
-Fox- Some foxes like grey foxes have partially retractile claws.
-Hyaena- Hyaena look like dogs but they are closely related to cats. They have short, blunt and non-retractile claws.

Additional Information: The claws are used by the animals for grooming, digging, defense, offense and also for climbing trees. The reptiles use their claws for climbing and holding their prey. The birds use the claws for catching their prey.

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the retractile claws are found in cats. So, the correct answer is ‘A’.

Note: The retractile claws are found in all the species of the cat family except cheetah. The cats have nails on the inner side of the claw. The nails are homologous to claw but are flatter and have curved edges. The nerve endings are absent in the nails but the blood capillaries are present in the inner part.