Giraffes are the tallest mammal in the world.
Giraffe Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
Genus: Giraffa
Species: Camelopardalis
|
Other Names for Giraffes:
Giraffe in Foreign Languages:
Afrikaans: kameelperd
Albanian: gjirafë
Amuzgo: kió' xtyo' tkò
Arabic: zaraafa
Armenian: ënjugt
Asturian: xirafa
Basque: jirafa
Belarusian: žyráfa
Bosnian: žirafa
Bulgarian: žiráf / žiráfa
Catalan: girafa
Cherokee: digalisdugisgi
Croatian: žirafa
Czech: žirafa
Danish: giraf
Dutch: giraf
Esperanto: girafo
Estonian: kaelkirjak
Finnish: kirahvi
French: girafe
Galician: xirafa
Georgian: žirap’i
German: Giraffe
Greek: kamilopárdali
Haitian Creole: jiraf
Hungarian: zsiráf
Icelandic: gíraffi
Indonesian: jerapah
Irish: sioráf
Italian: giraffa
Japanese: kirin / jirafu
Korean: jirapeu / girin
Latin: camelopardalis
Latvian: žirafe
Lithuanian: žirafa
Luxembourg: Giraff
Macedonian: žiráfa
Malay: zirafah
Mandarin: chángjinglù
Navajo: tsin yilátah ayání
Nynorsk: sjiraff
Persian: zarrafe / šotorgâvpalang
Polish: zyrafa
Portuguese: girafa
Romanian: girafa
Romansch: giraffa
Russian: žiráf / žiráfa
Slovakian: žirafa
Slovenian: žirafa
Somali: geri
Spanish: jirafa
Swahili: twiga
Swedish: giraff
Tagalog: dyirap
Tajik: zarrofa
Turkish: zürafa
Turkmen: žiraf
Ukrainian: žyráfa / žyráf
Welsh: jiráff
Yiddish: dzheraf
|
|
|
Species: There are 9 recognized species of giraffes.
Giraffe Species Include:
Angolan Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis
Angolensis
Kordofan Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis Antiquiorum
Nubian Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis
Camelopardalis
Southern / South African Giraffe - Giraffa
Camelopardalis Giraffa
Nigerian / West African Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis
Peralta
Reticulated Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis
Reticulata
Baringo Giraffe (aka Rothschild's Giraffe or Uganda
Giraffe) - Giraffa Camelopardalis Rothschildi
Thornicroft's Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis
Thornicrofti
Masai Giraffe - Giraffa Camelopardalis
Tippelskirchi
|
Size: Giraffes are without a doubt the tallest
living animal in the world. Giraffes are 14 - 19 feet
tall and weigh 1,750 - 2,800 lbs. Male giraffes are
taller and heavier than their female counterparts.
Habitat: Giraffes are found on the savannahs
in Africa.
Description: Giraffes are known for their extremely
long necks, long legs, and coat with spotted patterns.
Each giraffe has a uniquely patterned or spotted coat.
Similarities are seen in the patterns with giraffes
from the same region.
Diet: Giraffes are herbivores feeding on foliage.
Like cows, giraffes regurgitate their food and re-chew
it as cud. Giraffes can consume up to 140 lbs of foliage
a day.
Communication: Giraffes can make a variety
of sounds including: moos, hiss, roars, and whistles.
|
Did You Know?
A giraffe's tongue is 18- 20 inches
long!
|
|
Gestation: Giraffes carry their young for 14
months.
Birth: Giraffe cows give birth standing up,
dropping their newborn calves 5 feet to the ground at
birth. Giraffe calves are 6 feet tall and weigh 100
to 150 pounds at birth.
Sexually Mature: Giraffes are sexually mature
between the ages of 3 and 5.
Life Span: The average life span of a
giraffe is 25 years. Lions, hyenas, and wild dogs
are all predators of giraffes.
|
|
Social Structure: Giraffes are social and travel
in herds, the herds do not appear to have type of social
structure and consists of both sexes and all ages.
|