page_title: Dewclaw
hierarchical_section_title: Dewclaw
caption_attribution_description: Dog foot with a paw and a dew claw that always remains worn down naturally because of contact with the ground while running. This 3-year-old dog is very active.
context_page_description: A dewclaw is a digit – vestigial in some animals – on the foot of many mammals, birds, and reptiles. It commonly grows higher on the leg than the rest of the foot, such that in digitigrade or unguligrade species it does not make contact with the ground when the animal is standing. The name refers to the dewclaw's alleged tendency to brush dew away from the grass. On dogs and cats the dewclaws are on the inside of the front legs, positioned analogously to a human thumb. Although many animals have dewclaws, other similar species do not, such as horses, giraffes and the African wild dog.
context_section_description: A dewclaw is a digit – vestigial in some animals – on the foot of many mammals, birds, and reptiles (including some extinct orders, like certain theropods). It commonly grows higher on the leg than the rest of the foot, such that in digitigrade or unguligrade species it does not make contact with the ground when the animal is standing. The name refers to the dewclaw's alleged tendency to brush dew away from the grass. On dogs and cats the dewclaws are on the inside of the front legs, positioned analogously to a human thumb.  Although many animals have dewclaws, other similar species do not, such as horses, giraffes and the African wild dog.
caption: This younger, active dog's dewclaw always makes contact while running, so it wears down naturally to its proper length, as do its other claws.
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