Giraffe

Giraffe, tallest of all animals. Giraffes inhabit dry, tree-scattered terrain south of the Sahara. The male averages 5.3 m (17 ft) in height, and with its 40-cm (15-in) tongue is able to reach high into acacia trees, the leaves of which are one of its main foods.

The giraffe, like most mammals, has only seven neck vertebrae, which are greatly elongated to support its extremely long and muscular neck. Due to the great distance between the animal’s heart and head, its vascular system is equipped with valves so that sufficient blood reaches the brain. The giraffe has keen senses of smell and hearing, and exceptional eyesight. The long, flexible tongue and long, muscular upper lip are used to rip leaves from branches. Both sexes have two or four short, blunt, skin-covered horns. The coat has chestnut brown blotches against a buff background, markings that blend with the dappled shadows of tree branches. As a giraffe ages, its color grows a darker brown. Each animal has a unique set of markings. A giraffe’s life span is up to 26 years in the wild and up to 36 years in captivity.

A giraffe gallops with the hind feet reaching in front of the fore feet and the neck swinging widely, giving the appearance of slow motion, although it can reach 56 km/h (35 mph). When walking it paces, moving the two feet of one side forward simultaneously. A giraffe’s great weight, which averages 800 kg (1800 lb), makes it unable to traverse boggy swamps or riverbeds. On dry, hard land, however, it ranges widely and sometimes is found hundreds of kilometers from water.

Unlike many grass-eating herbivores of Africa, giraffes do not migrate during dry seasons because they get their food and most of their moisture from leaves. A giraffe can go for more than a month without drinking, and the few times it does drink, the animal must spread the long forelegs widely to reach the water. This awkward posture is why a giraffe rarely grazes grass. When a giraffe vocalizes, it emits moans or low notes. A giraffe usually sleeps in standing position. Its protection against predators, of which lions are chief, is kicking with the large, heavy hooves.

Giraffes congregate in loosely organized herds of two to ten members, with individuals often joining and leaving again. Each herd is led by an adult bull and consists of cows, calves, and sexually immature males. During mating season males vie for females by butting each other with their heavy necks and heads. After about 15 months a cow bears a single calf, 1.7 to 2 m (5.6 to 6 ft) high, which can stand 20 minutes after birth. Calves come to sexual maturity in about four years. Once heavily hunted for their thick, leathery skins, giraffes are now protected.

The giraffe is related to the okapi, or forest giraffe, which is found in the inaccessible rain forests of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) and western Uganda. Unlike the giraffe, the okapi has a short, stout body and stands only 150 to 170 cm (5 to 5.5 feet) high at the shoulders. The okapi remains so secluded that it was not discovered until 1900.

Scientific classification: The giraffe belongs to the family Giraffidae. It is classified as Giraffa camelopardalis. The okapi also belongs to the family Giraffidae, and is classified as Okapia johnstoni.

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