Common Name:

Giraffe

Hunting:

Yes

Location:

Mhlosinga and Surrounding Areas

Description:

Giraffes are the tallest of the land animals. It is a hooved mammal with short, wiry hair that varies in colors among the various races. The background coloring is cream with borders of gold to orange and the splotches are brown to black.

Images:

Info:

Giraffes strip leaves from thorny acacia trees, sometimes colonized by ants, with their 45 cm (18 in.) long, prehensile tongues.
Bull giraffes forage higher in trees than cow giraffes which reduces food competition between the sexes.
Long-legged giraffes walk with the limbs on one side of the body lifted at the same time. This gait is called a pace and allows a longer stride which saves steps and energy.
A mother giraffe often gives birth while standing so that the newborn's first experience outside the womb is a 1.8 m (6 ft.) drop!
For the first four to five months, calves congregate in nursery groups called creches to rest and socialize while mothers forage in the distance.
Giraffes have seven elongated vertebrae in their neck unlike most mammals, an adaptation for feeding high in the trees.
Giraffes are the tallest mammal. They are often called the watchtowers of the Serengeti, keeping track of predators. Their extreme long-range vision enables visual communication with other giraffes over several miles.
Because their necks are shorter than their legs, they must spread their front legs wide in order to reach the water to drink. Their neck veins contain valves and a network of tiny veins to constrict blood flow to their brain when they lower their head to drink in order to prevent blackouts.
Each has unique markings, which distinguish it from others, much like a human fingerprint.
Giraffe markings allow them to hide among trees.
A giraffe's tongue is purplish-black and can extend almost twenty inches! This adaptation is thought to keep the tongue from sunburn during their all-day feed.
1Giraffes are one of the few species of mammal to perceive color, and their visual field approaches 360° from their tremendous height.
They are quite agile and can run up to 35 mph, and have been known to jump 1.8 m (6 ft).

Range:

African regions south of the Sahara Desert

Habitat:

Savannah, bush, scrub, and open acacia woodlands; semi-arid regions to regions of dense vegetation

Diet:

Selective browsers that prefer new growth foliage of acacia, mimosa brush, and Combretum trees 2-5 m (6.6-16.5 ft) high; feed on shoots & leaves of 100+ plant species, including some herbs; choice determined by seasonal and local availability

Size:

Male: Up to 6.2 m (18.6 ft)
Female: Up to 5.3 m (15.7 ft)

Gestation:

Approximately 15 months (450-465 days); typically one offspring at a time

Sexual Maturity:

Male: 4, 5 years
Female: 4, 5 years

Life Span:

20-25 years, 28 year approximate max

Status:

Currently not protected except within national parks

Spoor:

Source:

Submitted by:

Mhlosinga