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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
giraffe |
| KINGDOM: |
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| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Artiodactyla |
| FAMILY: |
Giraffidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Giraffa
(one who walks swiftly) camelopardalis (camel
marked like a leopard) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
White
to cream background color with light brown to almost
black spots within a lattice pattern |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| SIZE: |
(Height
to top of head) newborns average 1.8 m (6 ft.);
adults range 4.25 to 5.5 m (14-18 ft.) |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| WEIGHT: |
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| MALE |
1,100
to 1,915 kg (2,420-4,215 lb.) |
| FEMALE |
700
to 1,181 kg (1,540-2600 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Selective
browsers that prefer new growth foliage of acacia
and mimosa brush 2 to 5m (6.6-16.5 ft.) high; feed
on over 100 plant species; choice determined by
seasonal and local availability |
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| GESTATION: |
450
to 465 days |
| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
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| NURSING
DURATION |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
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| MALE |
Mature
at about 3.5 years but usually don't breed until
8 years old |
| FEMALE |
mature
at 4 to 5 years old |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
20
to 25 years |
| MALE |
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| FEMALE |
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| RANGE: |
African
regions south of the Sahara |
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| HABITAT: |
Savannah,
scrub, and open acacia woodlands |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
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| CITES |
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| USFWS |
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| Currently
not protected except within national parks |
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| 1. |
Giraffes
strip leaves from thorny acacia trees, sometimes
colonized by ants, with their 45 cm (18 in.) long,
prehensile tongues. |
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| 2. |
Bull
giraffes forage higher in trees than cow giraffes
which reduces food competition between the sexes. |
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| 3. |
Long-legged
giraffes walk with the limbs on one side of the
body lifted at the same time. This gait is called
a pace and allows a longer stride which saves steps
and energy. |
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| 4. |
A
mother giraffe often gives birth while standing
so that the newborn's first experience outside the
womb is a 1.8 m (6 ft.) drop! |
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| 5. |
For
the first four to five months, calves congregate
in nursery groups called creches to rest and socialize
while mothers forage in the distance. |
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The
continuous, selective browsing habits of giraffes
slow the growth of favorite bush and tree species.
This foraging behavior maintains the open woodlands
inhabited by many African ruminants.
Mankind has historically honored giraffes. African
cave paintings included them, probably as favored
prey, and ancient Egyptian art frequently featured
giraffe designs. In fact, giraffe tail hairs are
still collected for jewelry, and hide is used to
make sandals and ceremonial shields. Some tribes
treat nose bleeds with the smoke from burning giraffe
skin. Unfortunately giraffes antagonize farmers
more and more, often when the animals forage on
crops and compete with domestic stock for resources.
This conflict is likely to escalate in the future
as the African human population continues to increase.
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| |
|
|
| Benyus,
Janine. Beastly Behaviors. New York: Addison-Wesley
Pub. Co., 1992. |
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| Estes,
Richard. The Safari Companion. Post Mills,
Vermont: Chelsea Green Pub. Co., 1993. |
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| Kingdon,
Jonathon. East African Mammals, An Atlas of Evolution
in Africa. Vol. III, Part B, Chicago: Chicago
University Press, 1979. |
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| Macdonald,
David (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals: 2.
London: George, Allen & Unwin, 1985. |
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| Nowak,
Ronald (ed.). Walker's Mammals of the World.
Vol. II, Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press,
1991. |
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