Giraffe
Early written records described the giraffe as "magnificent
in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, colossal in height
and inoffensive in character." Ancient cultures in Africa revered
the giraffe, as some modern cultures do today, and commonly depicted
it in prehistoric rock and cave paintings. Unknown outside of Africa,
this animal so excited man's curiosity that it was sometimes sent
as a diplomatic gift to other countries; one of the earliest records
tells of a giraffe going from "Melinda" (presumably Malindi)
in Kenya to China in 1415. The animal was thought to be a cross between
a camel and a leopard, a mistake immortalized in the giraffe's scientific
name of Giraffa camelopardalis.
Physical Characteristic
The neck is so long the giraffe must spread its front legs apart so
its head can reach the ground to drink. 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.
The giraffe's high shoulders and sloping back give the impression
that its front legs are much longer than the hind legs, but they
are in fact only slightly longer. The giraffe (as well as its short-necked
relative the okapi from Central African forests) has a distinctive
walking gait, moving both legs on one side forward at the same time.
At a gallop, however, the gait changes, and the giraffe simultaneously
swings the hind legs ahead of and outside the front legs, reaching
speeds of 35 miles an hour. Its heavy head moves forward with each
powerful stride, then swings back to stay balanced. Giraffes have
"horns" not true horns but knobs covered with skin and
hair above the eyes to protect the head from blows.
The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) of
northeastern Kenya has large, chestnut-colored square patches defined
by a network of fine white lines. The larger Baringo or Rothschild's
giraffe (G.c. rothschildi) of western Kenya and eastern Uganda has
chestnut patches separated by broader white lines but no spotting
below the knees. This species can have up to five horns instead
of the usual two or three. The Masai giraffe (G.c. tippelskirchi)
of Tanzania and southern Kenya has irregular star-shaped brown or
tan spots.
Habitat
Giraffes are found in arid and dry-savanna zones
south of the Sahara, wherever trees occur.
Behavior
Although a relatively quiet animal, the giraffe
is not mute. Giraffes bellow, grunt, bray in distress, moan and emit
short flutelike notes. They have acute senses of hearing and sight,
often alerting other animals to nearby predators.
Giraffes use a home range but are not territorial. The males are
hierarchical and sometimes spar by standing side by side and lowering
and swing their heads at one another. The blows can be so strong
that their necks entwine. The practice, called necking, has sometimes
mistaken as courtship between a male and female, but since it is
performed only by males (of approximately the same size) it is probably
a test of strength. Although females have been observed striking
with their front feet to keep predators away from their young, male
giraffes do not often do so when fighting.
Diet
When protected, giraffes can flourish in areas where
food is abundant year round. Although they drink water when it's available,
they can survive where it is scarce. They occasionally eat grass and
fruits of various trees and shrubs, but their principal food source
is the acacia tree. The tree's sharp horns do not seem to stop the
giraffe, which has a long, muscular tongue specially adapted to select,
gather and pluck foliage. The giraffe is a selective feeder and although
it feeds 16 to 20 hours a day, it may consume only about 65 pounds
of foliage during that time. It can maintain itself on as little as
15 pounds of foliage per day.
Caring for the Young
Nursery groups of young animals are left alone together
during the day while 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 months. Although
few predators attack adult giraffes, lions, hyenas and leopards take
their toll on the young. Scientists report that only a quarter of
infants survive their first year of life.
Predators
Giraffe tails were highly prized by the ancient
Egyptians, and still are in many African cultures. The desire for
good-luck bracelets, fly whisks and thread for sewing or stringing
beads have led people to kill the giraffe for its tail alone. Giraffes
are easily killed and poaching (now more often for their meat and
hide) continues today.
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