Information about the giraffe from Africa. Giraffe - description where it lives
The message about the giraffe for children can be used in preparation for the lesson. A report on a giraffe for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.
Giraffe story for kids
The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. The growth of a giraffe can reach 6 meters.
The neck of a giraffe is as much as 1.5 meters! Like other mammals, it has 7 vertebrae, only they are very elongated.
The giraffe has long legs, a narrow chest, a long neck and a small head with horns. The long neck allows him to feast on delicate leaves from the trees. And the long front legs make it possible to run very fast, even faster than a lion, the only predator that can attack a giraffe. The giraffe has very sharp hooves, with their help it defends itself from enemies.
Giraffes have adapted to life in the hottest and driest steppes of Central Africa. You won't find a sip of water there soon, and the grasses dry and burn out in the sun. To drink water, the giraffe has to spread its front legs wide. A giraffe can go even longer without water than a camel. But he drinks 40 liters at a time.
Tall and graceful giraffes have keen hearing, keen eyesight, and in running they are not inferior to swift gazelles.
The tallest mammal on Earth takes 20 hours a day to eat! He eats 30-40 kg of greens per day. Sleeps only 1-2 hours lying on the ground .. For a very long time people thought that these animals were dumb. But recently, people have discovered that giraffes can bleat and grunt.
Enemies of the giraffe
Enemies of the giraffe - it is a man and hungry lions. They have no other enemies. Defending themselves, giraffes beat the lions with the hooves of their hind legs. The blow is very strong, because the giraffe weighs 1000 kilograms. The color of the giraffe allows you to hide, hide from enemies.
Ecology
Basic:
Giraffes are the tallest land animals on the planet. Males reach a height of 5.5 meters, and females - 4.3 meters, while as cubs can grow to about 1.8 meters. Surprisingly, baby giraffe grows literally by leaps and bounds - up to 2.5 centimeters per day!
Just as humans have unique fingerprints, so each giraffe has a unique color scheme. Some representatives have a pattern on the wool in the form of oak leaves, while others have square-shaped patterns, so it seems that a large net was thrown over the giraffe. The spots on the skin of animals can vary in color, from very light to almost black, depending on what they eat and where they live. Some experts argue that giraffes need spots for camouflage.
In the wild, giraffes can sleep as little as 20 minutes a day and usually no longer than 5 minutes at a time, as they have to be on the lookout at all times to hide from enemies.
All giraffes have a pair of hairy horns. Male giraffes use them to fight other males. They rest their heads against each other and braid their necks, this fight is called "wrestling necks".
Like camels, giraffes can survive for a long time without water thanks to their diet, especially the acacia leaves, which are high in moisture. When they really feel thirsty, they go to a watering hole to the nearest body of water and are forced to spread wide or bend their legs in order to reach the water with their muzzle. At this point, giraffes are quite vulnerable to predators. To protect themselves, giraffes usually do not go to the watering hole alone, so that their relatives watch for the approach of danger and can warn in time.
Giraffes eat exclusively plant foods, especially tree leaves, buds, mimosa and acacia branches. Their growth allows you to get to food that is not available to other animals. A giraffe can eat up to 35 kilograms of food per day. Since a giraffe can pluck and swallow only a few leaves at a time, almost the whole day goes by with a meal.
Acacia trees have sharp thorns that stop most animals, but not giraffes. Their half-meter tongues can grope for thorns, and dense thick saliva covers thorns that a giraffe can swallow. The dark color of the tongue helps protect it from sunburn when the giraffe reaches for the leaves in the trees.
Giraffes are ruminants, like cows, and have four cells in their stomachs that allow them to properly digest the leaves. After the giraffe has swallowed a mouthful of leaves, a ball of already chewed leaves is lifted back up to grind even more.
Giraffes mate at any time of the year, after 14 months a newborn is born. Immediately after birth, the cub falls to the ground from a height of about 1.8 meters. The impact usually does not harm the baby, but forces him to take the first breath. The cub is firmly on its feet within an hour after birth, and 10 hours after birth it can already run. After a couple of weeks, the cubs join a group of young people called crèches.
In the wild, giraffes live for about 25 years, while in captivity they can live longer.
Habitat:
Once upon a time, giraffes lived in dry savannas south of the Sahara, where there were trees. Today, their habitats have been significantly reduced due to the loss of territories. Most giraffes live in wooded savannas, open woodlands in coastal forests in eastern Africa and northern parts of southern Africa where protected national parks are located.
West African giraffes live in the wild in the southwest of Niger. Last remaining population ugandan giraffe lives in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. This subspecies has also been introduced at 6 sites in Kenya and at one additional site in Uganda.
Conservation status: from Least Concern to Endangered
In general, giraffes are not in danger of extinction, but some subspecies are in danger. For example, West African and Ugandan giraffes are at risk of extinction.
Giraffes are quite widespread in Africa, their population reaches about 100 thousand individuals. Experts say that the number of giraffes is decreasing due to habitat loss and poaching, so these animals may in the near future end up in the Red Book as an endangered species.
West African giraffes are in the greatest danger of extinction. Currently, there are less than 200 of them left, but thanks to conservation programs, the number of these giraffes is gradually increasing.
Ugandan giraffes are also under threat. There are about 2,500 of them left, and experts fear that they are decreasing every day.
The appearance of giraffes resembles a cross between a camel and a leopard. They have a small hump on their back and a spotted hide. Some people called a giraffe "camel-leopard", hence its Latin name camelopardalis.
The foot of a giraffe is about 30 centimeters in diameter - about the size of a dinner plate.
The giraffe's neck reaches a length of about 2 meters and weighs over 250 kilograms.
The hind legs of the giraffe seem shorter, although they are practically the same length as the front ones - on average 1.8 meters.
The heart of a giraffe weighs about 11 kilograms and has a diameter of about 0.6 meters.
For a long time, it was believed that giraffes were mute, but in fact they produce sounds that are inaccessible to the human ear. They can also whistle, hiss, bellow and growl.
In addition to humans, the only enemies of giraffes in nature are lions and crocodiles. Giraffes are adept at defending themselves with deadly kicks when in grave danger.
Males need to sniff or taste the female's urine to determine if she is ready to mate.
Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae in the spine as in humans - 7. Each of the vertebrae is about 25 centimeters long.
Giraffes can run pretty fast to escape enemies. The record speed of a giraffe is 55 kilometers per hour.
The early history of giraffes is linked to the evolution of the entire family of giraffes. Breaking away from other deer-like artiodactyls in the Miocene, the ancestors of modern giraffes several million years ago lived throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. The early Neogene was a period of prosperity for giraffes, when they achieved both the greatest diversity of species and the greatest geographic distribution. Even then, many species were distinguished by their large size and powerful physique (especially the genus Helladotherium). Due to climate change in the Pleistocene, most giraffes became extinct, leaving only two modern species: the giraffe and the okapi. Both species still had short necks, but over time, giraffes began to lengthen their necks, being a beneficial advantage in foraging.
According to the version of the zoologist from Namibia, Rob Siemens, long necks arose as a result of the struggle of males with the necks. The male with the longer neck was more likely to win and receive more attention from the females, thereby producing more offspring.
Habitat
The giraffe lives in the savannas of sunny Africa; the giraffe does not live on other continents. Over the past 50 years, a herd of giraffes can often be found in the southern and southeastern regions of the Sahara, as well as drier areas of uninhabited land. Due to its elongated body structure and low level of water consumption, this animal can live in the woodlands of Africa.
Description
Male giraffe reach heights up to 5.5 - 6.1 m (about 1/3 of the length is the neck) and weigh up to 900-1200 kg. Females are usually slightly smaller and lighter. The necks of giraffes are unusually long, despite the fact that, like almost all other mammals, they have only seven cervical vertebrae. Tall stature increases the stress on the circulatory system, especially in relation to the supply of the brain. Therefore, giraffes have a particularly strong heart. It passes 60 liters of blood per minute, weighs 12 kg and creates a pressure that is three times higher than that of a person.
However, it would not have been able to withstand the overload of a sudden lowering and raising of the giraffe's head. To prevent such movements from causing the death of the animal, the giraffe's blood is thicker and has twice the density of blood cells than that of humans. In addition, the giraffe has special shut-off valves in the great cervical vein that interrupt the flow of blood so that pressure is maintained in the main artery that supplies the brain. The dark tongue of the giraffe is very long and muscular: the giraffe can stick it out by 45 cm and is able to grab branches with it.
The pattern on the coat consists of dark spots that stand out from the lighter shade of the base color, and each giraffe is individual, like a person's fingerprints. The lower part of the body of the giraffe is lighter and without spots. On the head of giraffes of both sexes there are two horns covered with wool (ossicons), thickened at the ends. Occasionally there are two pairs of horns. In the middle of the forehead, there is often a kind of bone growth, which can be mistaken for another unpaired horn. Black eyes are bordered by thick eyelashes, ears are short. Giraffes have very good eyesight, hearing and smell, which allows them to notice danger in advance. A good view of the area is facilitated, of course, by a large growth. Giraffes can see their tall relatives at a distance of up to a kilometer.
Giraffes can run quickly and, in case of urgent need, reach a speed of 55 km / h at a gallop, that is, at short distances they can overtake a racehorse. However, as a rule, they walk slowly, moving both right hooves at the same time, then both left ones. Due to their large weight and thin legs, giraffes can only walk on hard surfaces. These animals avoid swampy spaces, and rivers often represent insurmountable obstacles for giraffes. It is also noteworthy that these seemingly bulky and clumsy animals can also jump, overcoming even barriers 1.85 m high.
Giraffe lifestyle
Giraffes live in small herds in large open areas of the African savanna, among lonely tall trees. There is a hierarchy in the herd. At the head are adult males. Giraffes are not aggressive animals. If conflicts arise between the members, then they are resolved by demonstrative fights. Giraffes push their necks and try to butt the enemy with their horns. In case of defeat, the loser is not expelled from the herd.
Tall growth allows them to eat the tops. Giraffes have no competitors here. Like cows, they are ruminants. They feed in the morning and in the evening, and during the day they wait out the heat, hiding in the shade of tall trees. Standing motionless among the branches of a tree, the giraffe is almost invisible due to its mottled color. The favorite food is acacia. Giraffes are perfectly adapted to eating it. The animal's mouth is protected from thorns, and thick saliva allows them to be swallowed. They can also eat grass, but this is very inconvenient for them.
Due to its large size, it is quite difficult for a giraffe to rise from the ground. Therefore, they rarely lie down and spend most of their time on their feet. They even sleep standing up, resting their heads on their backs or arranging them on the branches of a tree. Another amazing feature of the giraffe is the need for sleep. These animals hardly sleep. Their average sleep is less than 2 hours a day.
The giraffes have only two enemies. This is a lion and a man. Lions attack young or old animals in groups. But the giraffe is not such an easy prey. He hears and sees well, so he notices hunters from afar. Thanks to their long legs, they run fast enough. Developing a speed of up to 60 km / h, they can get away from pursuing a lion. If the giraffe is surrounded by predators, it fights back with its hooves. With one blow of a powerful hoof, he can kill or maim a full-grown lion. Therefore, the lions try to jump on the giraffe's back and knock him down. A giraffe that is knocked to the ground is easy prey for lions.
For baby giraffe, leopards and hyenas are also very dangerous. Giraffes don't like water. They do not cross rivers and do not enter water bodies at all. In the rainy season, they hide under the trees. They can do without water for a long time (several weeks), getting moisture from the juicy leaves. In his ability to do without water for a long time, he competes with a camel. During dry periods, the giraffe can feed on dry and thorny branches.
Nutrition
The giraffe is an artiodactyl, exclusively herbivore. They are ruminants, just like cows, and they chew food several times, because their stomach is four-chambered. The main diet of the animal is the leaves of trees and shrubs. Most gourmets prefer acacia. Males choose the tallest branches, while they stretch their necks even more and seem even more majestic.
Females do not seek to visually increase their height, they are content with the vegetation that is located at the level of their body. Animals immediately grab the entire branch with their tongue and pull it into their mouth, peeling off all the leaves. In order to feed, giraffes eat up to 20 hours a day, because they need at least 30 kg.
The food eaten is so rich in juices that giraffes have very little need for water. For weeks, or even months, this large animal can go without drinking. When the giraffe drinks, it can immediately drink about 40 liters.
This amount of water does not exist at the top, therefore, when drinking, the animal is forced to bow its neck very low, and set its front legs wide apart. This is the most uncomfortable and vulnerable position, it is in this position that the giraffe is clumsy and clumsy. Therefore, he starts drinking only in full confidence that there is no danger nearby. By the way, this is why giraffes do not like to nibble on grass.
Reproduction and life expectancy
The mating season and mating itself falls on the rainy season. But childbirth itself, most often, occurs from May to August, that is, during the drought months. Pregnancy in a female giraffe lasts more than a year - 457 days, but the baby is born already about 2 meters tall. The female gives birth to one cub, rarely, but twins can also be born.
Within 15 minutes after birth, the baby rises on its legs and begins to feed on its mother's milk. At this time, they are completely defenseless, therefore, they are forced to hide for the entire first week after birth.
Interestingly, after 3-4 weeks of birth, giraffes begin to wean from their young, leaving them in the care of other adult females. The mother can walk 200 meters from the herd and return only in the evening to feed the baby.
This continues until the cubs can accompany the mother. Babies grow up quickly, but they will be with the female for 12-16 months. True, young males are separated from their mother at 12-14 months of age.
They begin to live alone until they become strong, sexually mature males. And males reach maturity at the age of 4-5 years. However, giraffes begin to mate only after they turn 7 years old.
Females, however, most often remain in the herd. They become sexually mature in 3-4 years, however, become mothers in no hurry for at least a year. These interesting animals live in the wild for up to 25 years. Even in captivity, in specially created conditions, under the supervision of veterinarians, the life expectancy of these handsome men did not exceed the record mark of 28 years.
Communication and perception
Giraffes rarely make sounds and are therefore considered quiet or even dumb mammals. They communicate with their own kind using infrasound. Sometimes they can make sounds similar to grunting or whistling. When a giraffe is alarmed, it can snort or grunt, thereby alerting nearby giraffes of danger. Mothers whistle to their calves. In addition, females search for lost cubs with the help of a roar. Calves respond to their mothers by bleating or meowing. During courtship, males may make sounds that resemble a cough. The giraffe has good visibility due to its height. This allows the animals to maintain continuous eye contact even at long distances from the herd. Sharp eyesight helps the giraffe to see the predator from a distance in order to prepare for an attack.
Subspecies
The subspecies distribution includes the territorial distribution of these mammals and the pattern on the body. To date, there are nine subspecies of giraffes.
Nubian giraffe
The Nubian giraffe (G. c. Camelopardalis) lives in eastern South Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia. Giraffes of this subspecies have distinctive chestnut spots surrounded by mostly white lines. Bony growth on the forehead is more pronounced in males. About 250 giraffes are believed to remain in the wild, although these figures have not been confirmed. Nubian giraffes are difficult to find in captivity, although a small group is found at the Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates. In 2003, the group consisted of 14 individuals.
Reticulated giraffe
Reticulated giraffe (G. c. Reticulata), also known as the Somali giraffe. His homeland is northeastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and Somalia. Has a distinctive pattern on its body that consists of pointed, reddish-brown polygonal spots separated by a network of thin white lines. The spots can be located below the hock, and bony growth on the forehead is present only in males. It is estimated that there are a maximum of 5,000 individuals in the wild and around 450 in zoos.
Angolan giraffe
Angolan giraffe or Namibian (G. c. Angolensis), lives in the northern part of Namibia, in the southwest of Zambia, in Botswana and in the west of Zimbabwe. Genetic studies of this subspecies suggest that the populations of the desert of northern Namibia and Etosha National Park constitute a separate subspecies. It is characterized by the presence of large brown spots on the body with teeth or elongated corners. Patterns are common along the entire length of the legs, but are absent in the upper part of the face. The neck and sacrum have few spots. The subspecies has a white patch of skin around the ear. According to the latest estimates, a maximum of 20,000 animals remained in the wild and about 20 are in zoos.
Giraffe cordo fan
The Kordofan giraffe (G. c. Antiquorum) is common in southern Chad, the Central African Republic, northern Cameroon and the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Cameroon giraffe population was previously assigned to a different subspecies - West African, but this was a misconception. Compared to the Nubian giraffe, this subspecies has a more uneven spotting. Their spots can be located below the hocks and on the inner sides of the legs. Bony growth on the forehead is present in males. It is estimated that about 3,000 individuals live in the wild. Considerable confusion exists regarding the status of this and the West African subspecies in zoos. In 2007, all alleged West African giraffes were in fact Kordofan giraffes. Given these amendments, there are about 65 Kordofan giraffes in zoos.
Masai giraffe
The Masai giraffe (G. c. Tippelskirchi), also known as the Kilimanjar giraffe, lives in central and southern Kenya and Tanzania. This subspecies has its own distinctive, unevenly distributed, jagged, stellate spots that are found on the legs. Most often, the bony growth on the forehead is found in males. There are about 40,000 individuals left in the wild, and about 100 giraffes are in zoos.
Rothschild giraffe
The Rothschild giraffe (G. c. Rothschildi), so named after Walter Rothschild, also known as the baringo giraffe or Ugandan giraffe. Its range includes parts of Uganda and Kenya. Giraffes of this subspecies have large dark spots that have smooth outlines, but sharp edges are also found. Dark spots may have lighter lines. The spots are infrequent below the hock and almost never reach the hooves. Fewer than 700 individuals remain in the wild and more than 450 Rothschild giraffes live in zoos.
South African giraffe
The South African giraffe (G. c. Giraffa) lives in northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and southwestern Mozambique. The subspecies is characterized by the presence of dark, slightly rounded spots on the reddish color of the skin. The spots spread down the legs and become smaller in size. About 12,000 South African giraffes live in the wild and 45 in captivity.
Rhodesian giraffe
The Rhodesian giraffe (G. c. Thornicrofti), also called the Thornicroft giraffe, after Harry Scott Thornicroft delineated the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zambia. Has jagged spots and several in the shape of a star, and which sometimes extend to the legs. Bone growth on the forehead in males is underdeveloped. No more than 1,500 individuals remain in the wild.
West African giraffe
The West African giraffe (G. c. Peralta), also known as the Nigerian or Nigerian subspecies, is endemic to the southwestern part of the Republic of Niger. Giraffes of this subspecies have a lighter coat than other subspecies. The spots on the body are lobe-shaped and extend below the hock. Males have a well-developed bony outgrowth on the forehead.
This subspecies has the smallest population, with less than 220 individuals remaining in the wild. Cameroon giraffes were previously classified as belonging to this subspecies, but in fact, they were Kordofan giraffes. This error has led to some confusion in the calculation of the population of the subspecies, but in 2007 it was determined that all West African giraffes that are found in European zoos are in fact giraffes of the Kordofan subspecies.
Giraffe and man
The North African populations were already hunted by the Greeks and Romans in ancient times. Sometimes giraffes were even used for shows at the Colosseum. In general, the giraffe was little known in Europe. Although the constellation Giraffe exists in the northern hemisphere, it is a relatively new convention and has no mythological origin.
In black Africa, giraffes were hunted by digging holes and traps. Their long sinews were used for bowstrings and strings of musical instruments; clothing made from the skin of a giraffe served as a symbol of high status among many peoples. Giraffe's meat is tough but edible. African tribes' hunt for giraffes has never reached a scale that could seriously jeopardize their numbers. With the arrival of white settlers, entertainment became the main motive for hunting giraffes, and the number of giraffes began to decline sharply.
Today giraffes are rare animals almost everywhere. Only in the states of East Africa do numerous populations still exist. The total number of giraffes is estimated at one hundred ten - one hundred fifty thousand individuals. There are about thirteen thousand individuals in the Serengeti Reserve. In general, giraffes are not considered critically endangered. Today they are kept in many large zoos in the world and successfully breed in captivity.
Curious information about giraffes
Is one of the most unusual animals on the planet.
In addition to its unique appearance, it has parameters unusual for a mammal:
- growth - from 5 to 6 meters;
- weight from 500 kg to 2 tons;
- develops a speed of up to 60 km / h;
- bears cubs from 13 to 15 months;
- sleeps 4.5 hours a day.
The longest neck in the world.
This is the tallest animal in the world. By the way, a third of his entire height is taken up by the neck. But, oddly enough, his vertebrae, like all mammals, are 7. And the length of one vertebra can reach 25 cm.
That's who has a long tongue!
The language of the animal is very surprising: it reaches almost half a meter in length. With this language, a giraffe can even clean its ears, not to mention grab food.
Unique coloring.
The color of the animal is also surprising. Nowhere in the world can you find two giraffes with the same color: it is unique to each animal.
Ah, those legs.
The giraffe has very long and thin legs. However, this does not prevent him from running quickly and even jumping one and a half meters in height. Only the giraffe bypasses the reservoirs: they have not yet submitted to him.
Sleeping while standing is easy.
Giraffes can sleep both standing and lying down. They bend their legs under them and put their head on their body. The giraffe sleeps intermittently. Throughout the night, he occasionally rises to drink or eat something.
Where does the giraffe live?
The giraffe can be found only in the savannas of Africa; it does not live in other parts of the world. It consumes little water, so it easily survives in the south of the Sahara, in woodlands.
Favorite food.
The giraffe is a herbivore. He perfectly eats the leaves of trees and branches of shrubs, but his favorite food is acacia. He spends most of his waking hours eating. Every day, 30 kg of vegetation are used to feed the giraffe. But he rarely drinks, but at one time he can easily drink 30 liters of water.
Baby giraffes.
Giraffes are prone to loneliness and rarely flock. One male can fertilize many females, but he jealously guards his territory. Carrying a female calf 1 - 1.3 years. Cubs appear in the dry season, but due to the fact that giraffes give birth while standing, they fall from a height of 2 meters. The weight of the cub reaches 100 kg, its height is 1.5 meters. They live with their mother for up to 1.5 years, and then leave her.
- A giraffe lives free for 25 years, in captivity for 35 years.
- By the way, giraffes amble. Move the front and back right first, and then the left.
- A giraffe usually grows 2 horns. But there are individuals that develop as many as 5!
- Giraffes can talk to each other. But their voices are imperceptible to the hearing of people.
Giraffe short information.
One of the tallest mammals living on land is the giraffe. Close relatives of giraffes are okapi, and distant relatives are deer. Its indisputable difference from other animals is that it has a very long neck, which is almost half of its total height. Only elephants, hippos and rhinos are larger in size.
The appearance of a giraffe
The height of the giraffe, including the neck and head, can reach about 6 meters... The average height at the withers is 3.5 meters. However, males and females differ slightly in height. Females are slightly smaller. And, accordingly, they cannot weigh as much as a male giraffe weighs.
Average animal weight varies within two tons... The tail is about a meter long, with a black hair tassel at the end. The giraffe, in addition to its outstanding height and long neck, has another distinctive feature, namely the coat, covered with black and brown spots.
The spots are separated by intervals of yellowish or whitish color. The spots are irregular in shape with jagged edges. However, on the body of each animal, the type of spots is the same. Giraffes have stiff mane on the neck... The hair of the mane is dark brown. The hairs are up to 12 centimeters long.
Both sexes have on the vertex a pair of short and blunt horns... They are covered with hide. However, the horns of male and female giraffes are slightly different:
- in males, the horns are more massive and longer;
- sometimes there is a third horn on the forehead;
- bony outgrowths on the back of the head in old males are often well developed ("five-horned" giraffes).
Features of the structure of the neck
The skeleton of the cervical spine includes only 7 vertebrae. This amount is typical for the neck structure of almost all mammalian species. The neck is long solely due to the peculiarity of the structure of the vertebrae - each vertebra is strongly elongated.
Another feature is that the thoracic vertebra, the one immediately behind the cervical vertebra, is greatly modified. It rather resembles one of the cervical vertebrae.
Blood pressure... Due to their tall stature, giraffes have a colossal load on the heart and the entire circulatory system. The heart is well developed and strong enough to withstand record high blood pressure.
Its indicators are three times higher than human indicators. In turn, this blood pressure is necessary so that blood from the heart can freely flow to the brain. With the head raised, the pressure is in the skull.
Lowering the head could run the risk of a dangerous build-up of pressure. So that the movements of the neck up and down do not cause instant death, nature "fuses" are provided:
- The blood is thick and more dense than human blood.
- There is a special protective mechanism, two vascular formations.
Due to these indicators blood pressure is normalized... Venous valves allow blood to flow in only one direction, to the heart, and prevent backflow to the brain.
Maximum animal speed
Despite the fact that the height of the giraffe is quite large, and it seemed that this could interfere with a good run, however, they are considered very fast animals. If necessary, animals can run at a gallop. So, their maximum speed can be almost 55 km / h... This means that giraffes can overtake a horse.
Nevertheless, these majestic animals often prefer to move slowly. A giraffe walks, simultaneously moving one pair of hooves to the right, then to the left. Animals walk exclusively on a hard surface. This is due to their height and thin legs.
Interesting, however, is the fact that with its height giraffes are able to jump... Sometimes they are even able to overcome obstacles and barriers higher than one and a half meters.
Giraffe diet
These animals are classified as herbivores, a group of ruminants. The physiology and structure of their bodies make it possible to feed on leaves from high tree crowns. Based on where the giraffe lives, this allows it to remain out of competition compared to other species.
The most delicious leaves for them are acacia leaves... Embracing a branch with a long tongue, the giraffe draws it to its mouth and then plucks the leaves. In this case, the head is pulled back. Despite the fact that the branches are often prickly, the mouth and tongue are not damaged in any way.
In a day, one representative of these animals is able to consume up to 30 kilograms of greens... This takes at least up to 16 hours. It happens that a giraffe can spend about 20 hours doing this. Males and females have been observed to eat differently. Males nibble leaves from the very top.
At the same time, they stretch the neck so much that it seems as if it is becoming an extension of the neck. Females, on the other hand, do not try to reach the very top of the trees. They eat the leaves growing at the level of the body. This is why they are often in a bent-neck position.
Giraffes do not have a great need for water, they may not drink nothing at all for 7 days. This need is more than covered by succulent feed. However, if, nevertheless, the animal decided to drink, then this volume will be at least 38 liters.
These animals are not very fond of drinking, since at this time the head will have to be lowered down, so the animal remains unprotected and may not notice the impending danger.
The habitat of giraffes and how long they live
Scientists agree that the ancestors of giraffes appeared about 25 million years ago. The remains of these animals have been found in Africa and Eurasia. However, now the habitat of giraffes is exclusively continent Africa.
The eastern part is especially densely populated. But speaking about the southwestern part of the continent, we can say that the animals there are practically exterminated. Small groups occasionally can be found in the steppes... This is due to the fact that some time ago there was a total hunt for giraffes.
For a long time, ecologists wondered how long this animal could live. However, it was possible to find out that in the natural environment, adults rarely manage to live more than 15 years... But the fact is known when a giraffe in captivity was able to live for 28 years. Today it is the greatest age known to science.
So, by the end of the article, we managed to find out several interesting facts about giraffes, namely that they have a body height of more than 5 meters, a long neck that helps to eat in a special way, today they can live only in Africa and are able to develop speed like a good horse. Truly unique and interesting animals!