To do so they must spread their legs and bend down in an awkward position that makes them vulnerable to predators like Africa's big cats. Giraffes only need to drink once every several days; they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat. Female giraffes give birth standing up.
Their young endure a rather rude welcome into the world by falling more than 5 feet to the ground at birth. These infants can stand in half an hour and run with their mothers an incredible ten hours after birth. Giraffes have beautiful spotted coats. While no two individuals have exactly the same pattern, giraffes from the same area appear similar.
Up until recently, the consensus has been there is only one species of giraffe with multiple subspecies. In , some scientists released a study that claims genetic differences among giraffe populations indicate the existence of four distinct giraffe species.
All rights reserved. How many vertebrae are in that long neck? A truly a unique species, giraffes are found only in sub-Saharan Africa and can reach unbelievable heights. Learn surprising giraffe facts, such as why they need such enormous hearts and how they get by on less than thirty minutes of sleep each day. A reticulated giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata and a Rothschild's giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi , two giraffe subspecies, photographed at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina, Kansas.
Common Name: Giraffe. Scientific Name: Giraffa camelopardalis. Type: Mammals. Diet: Herbivore. Size: 14 to 19 feet. Weight: 1, to 2, pounds. Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Every giraffe has two hair-covered horns called ossicones.
Male giraffes use their horns to playfully fight with one another. They also spar by swinging their heads at one another and entwining their necks, which is called "necking.
Giraffes are herbivores, which means they eat only plants. Their long necks allow them to reach leaves, seeds, fruits, buds and branches high up in mimosa and acacia trees. They can eat hundreds of pounds of leaves per week, according to National Geographic. Though these animals eat a lot, giraffes can go without drinking for weeks at a time. They get most of their moisture from the vegetation they eat.
As in cattle, female giraffes are called cows, while the males are called bulls. After mating, the cow will have a gestation period of around 14 months. Baby giraffes are called calves. During birth, the calf will drop to the ground, since mother giraffes give birth standing up. The fall can be as far as 5 feet 1. New calves are quite large, at 6 feet tall 1. They are also agile. At just an hour after birth, they can stand up and walk around.
Giraffe mothers often take turns watching over the calves. Sometimes, though, the mother giraffe will leave the calf by itself. When this happens, the infant will lie down and wait for its mother to return. Calves are weaned at around 12 months, according to the University of Michigan.
At 3 to 6 years old, calves are fully mature. The animals can live 10 to 15 years in the wild and 20 to 25 years in captivity. In the Giraffidae family, there are two genera: Giraffa and Okapia.
The okapi is sometimes called the forest giraffe. When walking, the giraffe moves its legs on one side of the body, at the same time relying on the forward and backward motion of its neck and head for balance.
Giraffes use their feet as a defense mechanism against predators by throwing enormous kicks with their front or hind feet. One kick from a giraffe's enormous hooves is enough to break a lion's back.
Giraffes have a long sticky tongue that stretches up to 21 inches. The giraffe's elongated neck accounts for much of the vertical height. A male giraffe's neck can measure 7 feet, while a female's can measure 5 feet. Giraffes have seven neck bones, the same number as other mammals, and the length of the neck is the result of a disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, not from the addition of more vertebrae.
Male giraffes use their necks as a weapon in combat in the necking behavior, which is used to establish dominance for greater reproductive success.
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