Cloven hoof
The hoof of cattle, divided into two toes, each with its own horny claw.
Also: split hoof, claws, cleft hoof
Cattle walk on two toes of each foot, each covered by a hard horny claw, so the hoof looks split down the middle; two small dewclaws sit higher up at the back. This divided hoof is shared with sheep, goats, pigs and deer, and it appears in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, where animals that both chew the cud and have parted hooves are listed as clean. Because the two claws move separately, working oxen that need shoes are fitted with two half-shoes on each foot. Claws grow continuously and on soft ground may need trimming. Foot-and-mouth disease takes its name from the blisters it causes between the claws and in the mouth.