Glossary


Weimaraner Dog Striding
Weimaraner Dog

hover over shaded words to reveal more

Digitigrade
Walking or bearing weight on digits (toes) of feet.
Digitigrade describes the orientation or progression of animals bearing weight on the plantar surface of the phalangeal regions of the foot. Only digits (toes) make contact with the ground.
The foot is lengthened relative to that of plantigrade animals, but shortened relative to that of unguligrade animals.
Animals that are digitigrade as adults may use plantigrade forms of locomotion when young. For example, until the age of about six weeks, kittens may be plantigrade, or semi-plantigrade.
Dogs and cats are digitigrade.
Cf. plantigrade, unguligrade