Animal bones identification

Reviewed and Edited by Sonnet Poddar, DVM — Last updated: August 24, 2026

To understand the osteological and topographic terms, you might know and identify all the bones in an animal skeleton. Here, the figure might help you identify the bones in the animal’s skeleton (for example, a cattle skeleton).

Here, Figure 1 shows the hotspots that you can hover over or click to display the name of the corresponding bone of the skeleton. In Figure 02 – 60, click on a specific bone to view detailed information about it.

Animal bones identification from the skeleton

Animal skeleton

Figure 1: Left lateral view of the ox/cattle’s skeleton

Bones identification from the forelimb

You will get a short guide on the specific bone from the forelimb (Figure 02-15): identification of the features, a description of the bone, and a 3D model of that specific bone.

Scapula bone of the animal

scapula

Figure 2: Lateral view of the left scapula of the ox

Figure 3: Medial view of the right scapula of the ox

Figure 4: Distal extremity of the scapula (Left and Right scapula bones + Medial and lateral views)

Figure 5: Distal extremity of the left scapula (Medial and lateral views)

Humerus bone of the animals (Ox, Horse, Dog)

Left humerus of the ox anterior view

Figure 6: Left humerus of the animals (Ox) – Anterior view

Left humerus of the ox posterior view

Figure 7: Left humerus of the animals (Ox) – Posterior view

Left humerus of the ox lateral view

Figure 7: Left humerus of the animals (Ox/horse) – Lateral view

Left humerus of the ox medial view

Figure 8: Humerus of the ox (Medial view)

Left humerus of the ox proximal extremity

Figure 9: Left humerus of the animal/ox/horse (Proximal extremity)

Left humerus of the ox distal extremity

Figure 10: Left humerus of the animal/ox/horse (Distal extremity)

Animal radius bone (Ox, horse, pig, and dog)

Animal radius anterolateral

Figure 11: Animal radius bone (Anterolateral view)

Animal radius posterior view

Figure 12: Animal radius bone (Posterior view)

Ox radius bone anterior view

Figure 13: Ox radius bone (Anterior view)

Ox radius proximal extremity

Figure 14: Proximal extremity of the animal radius and ulna bones

Animal radius bone distal extremity

Figure 15: Distal extremity of the animal’s radius and ulna bones

Metacarpal bones of the animals

Metacarpal of the animals dorsal view

Figure : Dorsal view of the animals metacarpals (Ox, horse, pig, and dog)

Animals metacarpal palmar view

Figure: Palmar view of the animals metacarpals III and IV (Ox, horse, dog)

Metacarpal of the animals proximal view

Figure: Proximal extremity of the animals metacarpals (Ox, horse, dog)

Metacarpal of animal distal view

Figure: Distal extremity of the metacarpals of the animals (Ox, horse, dog)

Bones identification from the animal’s hindlimb (Ox, horse, and dog)

Femur bone of the animals

Animal femur bone cranial view

Figure: Anterior view of the animal’s femur bone (Ox, horse, and dog)

Femur bone of the animals caudal view

Figure: Posterior view of the animal’s femur bone

Animal femur bone proximal and caudal

Figure: Proximal extremity of the animal’s femur bone (Ox, horse, dog)

Distal part of the animals femur

Figure: Distal extremity of the femur bone (Ox, horse, dog)

Tibia and fibula bones of the animal

Anterior view of the animal tibia bone

Figure: Anterior view of the tibia bone (Ox, horse, dog)

Posterior view of the animal tibia bone

Figure: Posterior view of the animal’s tibia bone (Ox, horse, dog)

Proximal part of the animal tibia bone

Figure: Proximal extremity of the animal’s tibia bone

Distal part of the animals tibia

Figure: Distal extremity of the tibia bone (Ox, horse, dog)

Animal metatarsal bones

Metatarsal bone of the animal dorsal view

Figure: Dorsal view of the metatarsal bones (Ox, horse, dog)

Animals metatarsal bone planter view

Figure: Planter view of the metatarsal bones (Ox, horse, dog)

Animal vertebrae (Ox, horse, pig, and dog) identification

Typical vertebra of the ox, horse, pig, and dog

Typical vertebra anterior view

Figure 16: Typical vertebra of the animal (Cranial view)

Typical vertebra of animal posterior view

Figure 17: Animal’s typical vertebra (Caudal view)

Animal vertebrae lateral view

Figure 18: Ox vertebrae (Lateral views)

Animal atlas vertebra bone

Animal atlas anterior and posterior views

Figure 19: Atlas/ First cervical vertebra of ox, horse, pig, and dog (Anterior and posterior views)

Animal atlas dorsal view

Figure 20: Dorsal view of the animal’s atlas vertebra bone

Ox atlas bone ventral view

Figure 21: Ventral view of the animal’s atlas vertebra bone

Animal’s second cervical vertebra (Axis bone)

Animal axis bone lateral view

Figure 22: Animal’s second cervical vertebra (Lateral view)

error: Content is protected !!