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Giraffes
Scientific name of a giraffe is “camelorpardalis”.
Ancient Romans and Greeks thought giraffes came from
camels and leopards hence their genus name.
The word giraffe actually comes from the Arabic word
Xirapha which means “one who walks very fast”. Giraffes
can run 35 mph over short distances, or Giraffes can
walk 10 mph over a long distance.
Giraffes are the tallest mammals on land. A giraffes
legs are approximately 6 feet long. Male Giraffes reach
16-18 feet in height while female Giraffes are 14-16
feet. Male Giraffes weigh up to 2000 lbs.
A Giraffe’s coat is covered with a pattern of spots
that is unique to each giraffe. A giraffes age can be
calculated from it’s sports. Darker spots indicate an
older giraffe. A giraffes tongue is black.
Giraffes are vegetarians. Like cows giraffes regurgitate
their food and chew it as cud. Giraffes use their long
tongues to feed on treetop tree leaves. A giraffes tongue
is about 21 inches long. Giraffes spend 16-20 hours
a day feeding. Giraffes sleep very little only 5- 30
minutes in a 24 hour period.
The Giraffes height is an advantage in watching for
predators they also have excellent vision allowing them
to see great distances. Surprisingly despite the length
of a giraffe’s neck it has the same number of cervical
vertebrae as a human. It is difficult for giraffes to
drink as they need to spread their front legs wide as
they are so tall. Giraffes only drink once every several
days.
Male Giraffes are known as bulls, while females are
known as cows and babies are calves. The gestation of
giraffes is 15 months. Female Giraffes give birth standing
up. Newborn giraffes are approximately 6 feet tall and
weigh approximately 150lbs. Giraffes form a day care
with one staying with the young while the others forage
for food.
Giraffes live on open grasslands, they cluster in herds
of approximately 6-7. Male giraffes (or bulls) will
sometimes fight butting their heads and long necks together
to show domination. A fight usually ends when one giraffe
walks away.
The average life expectancy of a giraffe is 25 years.
About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals
http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife
and animal website. Jacob also guest writes for Dog
Pound http://www.dog-pound.net
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