Giraffes
The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. Giraffes can inhabit savannas, grasslands or open woodlands. Giraffes prefer areas enriched with acacia growth (a genus of shrubs and trees). Giraffes drink large quantities of water and as a result, they can spend long periods of time in dry, arid areas. When searching for more food they will venture into areas with denser foliage.
Giraffe Characteristics
The giraffe is the tallest living animal which is instantly recognizable by it's exceptionally long neck. Adult males stand 15 - 19 feet (4.6 - 6.0 metres) tall, whereas females are shorter at 13 - 16 feet (4 - 4.8 metres) tall. Adult males weigh between 1,764 - 4,255 pounds (800 - 930 kilograms), while females weigh only 1,213 - 2,601 pounds (550 - 1,180 kilograms). The giraffe has the longest tail of any land mammal. Their tail can grow to be 8 feet (2.4 metres) long, including the tuft on the end.
Male giraffes are called 'Bulls', female giraffes are called 'Cows' and baby giraffes are called 'Calves'.
The giraffe is related to deer and cattle, however, it is placed in a separate family, the Giraffidae, consisting only of the giraffe and its closest relative, the okapi. The giraffes range extends from Chad to South Africa. Although the Okapi is much shorter than the giraffe, it also has a long neck and eats leaves and both animals have long tongues and skin-covered horns. The giraffes' ancestors first appeared in central Asia about 15 million years ago, however, the earliest fossil records of the giraffe itself, from Israel and Africa, date back about 1.5 million years.
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In addition to it's great height, the giraffe is also one of the heaviest land animals. Exceptionally large males may weigh up to 1,900 kilograms (about 4,200 lb).
Female giraffes are smaller, rarely reaching half that weight. Compared to other hoofed mammals the giraffe has a relatively short body, however, it's legs are disproportionately long.
A giraffe's front legs are about 10% longer than their hind legs, a feature that contributes to the animals steeply sloping back.
Mature giraffes have large hooves about the size of dinner plates, around 12 inches wide.
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Giraffe Neck
A giraffe's neck can measure over 1.5 metres (5 feet) in length, however, it contains only seven vertebrae the same number as in most other mammals, including humans.
These vertebrae are extremely long and are separated by very flexible joints. At the base of the neck, the thoracic vertebrae have spines that project upward, forming a hump over the shoulders.
These bones support muscles that hold the neck upright, in the same way that cables hold up a construction crane.
Giraffe Hide
Giraffes have spots covering their entire bodies, except their underbellies. Giraffes have short, dense fur with a unique pattern of dark patches that range from beige to chestnut brown. This colouration helps giraffes blend in among trees and leaves, making them harder for predators to spot.
Although no two giraffe skin patterns are exactly the same, some regional patterns are so common and distinct that zoologists have identified a number of giraffe subspecies based on the patterns. One of the most striking of these subspecies is the reticulated giraffe, which has large brown patches separated by thin contrasting lines, making a pattern that looks like broken paving. Another variety, the Masai giraffe, has patches with complex jagged outlines. In all giraffes, the coat colour tends to become darker with age.
Giraffe Horns
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The heads of both male and female giraffes have a pair of hair-covered horns called ossicones, which are permanently covered by skin and ending in a tuft of black hair. Male giraffes use their horns to playfully fight with one another.
The horns of male giraffes are larger than those of female giraffes, growing up to 25 centimetres (about 10 inches) long.
The skulls of male giraffes continue to deposit layers of new bone throughout life. As a result, a male giraffes head becomes progressively heavier and more angular, with bony lumps that look like extra horns. This characteristic which is found in no other mammal is linked to the fights that male giraffes stage to establish dominance for mating.
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Giraffe Habitat
Giraffes live in both open savanna areas, wooded grasslands and leaf-scattered terrains. Most giraffes live either in East Africa or in Angola and Zambia in southwestern Africa. Until the middle of the 20th century giraffes were also commonly found in West Africa, south of the Sahara. But populations there have fallen sharply and become increasingly fragmented.
Giraffe Diet
Giraffes live in habitats where the available food varies throughout the year. During the dry season, giraffes eat evergreen leaves, however, once the rainy season begins, they switch to new leaves and stems that sprout on deciduous trees. Also, twigs and branches are pulled into the mouth of the giraffe with their long and dextrous tongues. In the wild giraffes can eat up to 66 kilograms of food daily.
When there is a choice, male and female giraffes feed in different ways. Males concentrate on leaves from the highest branches, while the females arch their necks to eat closer to the ground. Because of this characteristic behaviour, a giraffe can be identified as either male or female from a long distance away simply by it's stance while eating. Male giraffes are also more inclined to wander into dense woodland, a habitat that females generally avoid.
Giraffes are not great travelers, despite their long legs. Giraffes cannot walk over swampy ground because their hooves quickly sink and they very rarely wade across rivers. Giraffes on opposite banks of a river may never come into contact, unless the water levels drop.
Giraffes in captivity are generally fed on alfalfa hay and pellets, apples, carrots, bananas and browse (elm and alder are favourites).
Giraffe Life Span
In captivity, giraffes have lived into their mid 30's, however, their maximum life span in the wild is about 25 years.
How does a Giraffe move?
Giraffes have two ways of moving, a loping walk and a gallop. When they walk, the giraffes move both feet on one side of their body in unison, followed by both feet on the other side. When they run, giraffes move the front feet together, then the back feet, swinging the hind feet up and planting them in front of the forefeet. While running, the neck of a giraffe moves backward and forward to keep the animal balanced. Giraffes have a top speed of about 56km/h (35 miles per hour), however, because it's legs are so long a galloping giraffe does not appear to be going very fast.
How does a Giraffe bend down?
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For giraffes, bending down is a daily challenge. To reach ground level for example, when drinking a giraffe has to splay its front legs at an angle of almost 45 degrees.
A giraffes circulatory system is also specially modified, because the high pressure needed to pump blood up to its head could cause brain damage when the head is lowered.
To deal with this problem, giraffes have elastic blood vessels that relieve some of the excess pressure.
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Giraffes also have a series of valves in their neck veins that ensure that blood always flows from the head back towards the heart, even when this means going against gravity. When giraffes do bend down to drink at water holes, it is commonly done in pairs. This is so that one giraffe can drink, whilst the other keeps an eye open for predators.
Giraffe Sounds
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Giraffes are usually silent although they can bellow, grunt or snort when alarmed, as when confronted by lions, and can also moo in distress.
If you are in IE, hold your mouse over the giraffe photo to hear a giraffe grunt.
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Giraffe Relatives
The only living relative of the giraffe is a rare animal called an Okapi (mentioned above) which looks like a cross between a zebra and a deer with horns like a giraffe.
Giraffe Conservation
Like many of Africa's large mammals, giraffes have declined in numbers and in range over the last century. At one time, herds of over 100 animals were common in savanna regions across the continent, however, today concentrations like these exist only in East Africa particularly Tanzania Serengeti National Park.
The decline of giraffe populations has largely been due to hunting. In Africa, the giraffe is a traditional source of hide and hair and also of tough but nutritious meat. Hunting of giraffes has not yet had a catastrophic effect, as it has on some of Africa's big-game animals, but it is a cause for concern. The natural habitat of the giraffe is also being impacted more and more by human activities, reducing the animals range.
The giraffe is currently a protected species throughout most of its range and is classed as conservation-dependent by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The giraffes prospects for survival are good for those living in national parks and game reserves, but for animals living outside these areas the future is less secure.
