VNGiraffe is the tallest living animal today and is mainly found in the African continent. They are often kept in zoos and fascinate children. Let’s explore more about giraffes in the following article.
1/ Common Characteristics
The scientific name for giraffe is Giraffa, belonging to the mammalian family and the order Artiodactyla. They were first discovered in 1762. Giraffes are the largest species of animals, with around 11 species, and over 7 species have gone extinct in prehistoric times. Giraffes primarily inhabit the regions of Southern Africa, Niger, and Somalia, in natural habitats such as savannahs, sparse forests, and woodlands. Giraffes are quadrupedal animals with a robust and tall body structure.
A common characteristic of giraffes, similar to other mammals, is that they have only 7 cervical vertebrae. The average size ranges from 4.2 to 5.7 meters in height, and the average weight is about 0.8 to 1.25 tons (for male giraffes). Female giraffes weigh around 800-850 kg. They have an average lifespan of 25 years, with some species reaching up to nearly 40 years. However, they are currently at risk of being listed in the Red Book due to a significant decline in their population.
Giraffes have a well-built body, a long neck (up to 2.4 meters), and a small head. Their ears are slightly pointed, and their muzzle is long and prominent, displaying strong teeth. They have large eyes and constantly blinking eyelashes. They also have a tufted tail resembling a horse’s. The skin color of giraffes is a mixture of unevenly distributed spots. The outer layer is white, followed by brown, and the innermost part is golden-brown.
2/ How do giraffes sleep?
Due to their excessive height, giraffes often face difficulties in sleeping, drinking water, and eating due to the need to lower their heads. Giraffes are known to have relatively short sleeping durations, typically around 20 to 30 minutes per day, and they sleep while standing, especially adult individuals.
They cannot sleep deeply as they need to remain vigilant against potential threats in their surroundings. When it comes to young giraffes, they often tuck their legs under their bodies and rest their heads on their backs to sleep.
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3/ What do giraffes eat?
Giraffes are migratory animals. During the rainy season when food is abundant in grasslands and savannahs, you can easily spot giraffes feeding on leaves. When the dry season arrives, they tend to move to areas with shrub forests and dense woodlands. Acacia leaves are their main source of food, and due to their excessive height, giraffes face less competition for this type of foliage.
Giraffes are herbivores and share similar eating habits with other ruminant animals such as cattle and buffalo, including regurgitating and re-chewing their food. They prefer grass and leaves from trees, and when there is a scarcity of grass, they can also eat tree bark. Thanks to their remarkable height, they can reach both low-lying vegetation and high-branching plants. On average, giraffes can consume around 34 kg of leaves per day.
4/ Giraffe reproduction
Giraffes reproduce through live birth and mating between a male and a female. Female giraffes face challenges during childbirth as they give birth in a standing position, which can result in the calf falling from a considerable height, sometimes leading to the calf’s death. The gestation period for giraffes is longer compared to many other animal species, ranging from 400 to 460 days.
Newborn giraffes are already taller than adult humans, with a height of approximately 1.7 to 2 meters. Notably, giraffe calves are capable of running and jumping around just a few hours after birth. Female giraffes can continue their reproductive cycle when they are around 5 years old, and males reach maturity at around 8 years of age.
5/ Where do giraffes live?
Giraffes primarily inhabit grasslands and areas with plentiful vegetation, such as savannahs and forests. They have a tendency to live in herds consisting of approximately 8 to 10 individuals. Vocalization serves as the main communication method for giraffes. Giraffes are most commonly found in Southern Africa and are scattered from west to east across the African continent.
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6/ Behavior of giraffes
Giraffes are peaceful animals. They live in a natural environment filled with constant dangers and are often targeted by carnivorous predators. They are commonly preyed upon by large carnivores such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and crocodiles. This is one of the reasons why the population of giraffes is gradually decreasing.
Giraffes and humans
As mentioned earlier, wild animals pose a significant threat to giraffes, affecting their population. However, humans also play a significant role in the current decline of giraffe populations. The excessive hunting and poaching of giraffes is mainly driven by the demand for various parts of their bodies, which are used in the medical, food, jewelry, and artisanal crafts industries.
The giraffe population is currently at an alarming level, leading many countries to enact laws prohibiting illegal exploitation of giraffes in an effort to minimize negative impacts on their population. Additionally, climate change and deforestation, including forest fires, have had adverse effects on the giraffe’s habitat as well as many other species. These factors have led to a decline in the giraffe population.
In this article, we have shared the article about 6 amazing facts about giraffes with you. We hope this information is useful to you.
