Giraffe: Tallest Animal

When we try to look at this animal we can see that it is very different from other animals. It's different because of it's look having long neck, long legs and spotted patterns. Giraffes have small "horns" or knobs on top of their heads that grow to be about five inches long. These knobs are used to protect the head in fights.

                                      

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The giraffe is the tallest living animal, uniquely adapted to reach vegetation inaccessible to other herbivores. Giraffes have a distinctive walking gait, moving both right legs forward, then both left. At a gallop, however, the giraffe simultaneously swings the hind legs ahead of and outside the front legs, reaching speeds of 35 miles an hour. It has unusually elastic blood vessels with a series of valves that help offset the sudden buildup of blood (and to prevent fainting) when the head is raised, lowered or swung quickly. Giraffe "horns" are actually knobs covered with skin and hair above the eyes that protect the head from injury.

The Giraffe is non-territorial and social; it lives in very loose, open herds with no specific leaders or coordination of herd mvement. This structure reflects that a giraffe's size makes a “safety in numbers” tactic unnecessary, and that the trees they feed on tend to be spaced apart. Dominance between males is established by “necking”- swinging heads at one another in tyest of strength.         

Photo credit: Google

Nursery groups of young animals are left alone together during the daywhile their mothers feed. The 6-foot-tall calf grows rapidly as much as an inch a day. By 2 months the young giraffe is eating leaves and at 6 months is fairly independent of its mother. A young giraffe can even survive early weaning at 2 or 3 vmonths. Although few predators attack adult giraffes, lions, hyenas and leopards take their toll on the young. Scientist reports that only a quarter of infants survive their first year of life.

Giraffes live in the savannas of Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, arid land, dense forests and open plains.

The giraffe's scientific name, which is similar to its antiquated English name of camelopard, refers to its irregular patches of color on a light background, which bear a token resemblance to a leopard's spots.

Male giraffes are larger than females. Males weigh between 2,400 and 3,000 pounds and stand up to 19 feet The giraffe's scientific name, which is similar to its antiquated English name of camelopard, refers to its irregular patches of color on a light background, which bear a token resemblance to a leopard's spots.tall! Female giraffes weigh between 1,600 and 2,600 pounds and grow to be 16 feet tall.Healthy giraffes live about 25 years in the wild.

This endangered animal attracts people because of it's different appearance and its beauty. We should take care of the animals like giraffe because they are a great contribution to our environment.

Resources:http//www.awf.org

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