All About Giraffes!

Find out more about giraffes!

Giraffes are lucky they're so tall;
They make us humans feel so small.
They simply look down on us all.
Those elegant giraffes.

They'll eat the leaves from topmost bough,
Which only lengthy necks allow,
Then graze between their feet somehow.
Those picturesque giraffes.

But one thing we can not ignore;
I've thought of this oft times before.
How dreadful if their throats got sore!
Those lengthy necked giraffes.

AWF: Giraffes
The National Zoo: Giraffes
Matt's World of Wicked Giraffes
San Diego Zoo: Giraffe

Description

Giraffes are one of the world's tallest mammals. They are well known for their long necks, long legs, and spotted patterns. Giraffes have small "horns" or knobs on top of their heads that grow to be about five inches long. These knobs are used to protect the head in fights.

Size

Male giraffes are larger than females. Males weigh between 2,400 and 3,000 pounds and stand up to 19 feet tall! Female giraffes weigh between 1,600 and 2,600 pounds and grow to be 16 feet tall.

Habitat

Giraffes live in Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, arid land, dense forests and open plains.

Giraffes usually inhabit:

• savannahs
• grasslands
• open woodlands

Offspring

Female giraffes typically give birth to one calf after a fifteen-month gestation period. During the first week of its life, the mother carefully guards her calf. Young giraffes are very vulnerable and cannot defend themselves. While mothers feed, the young are kept in small nursery groups.

Food

Their long necks help giraffes eat leaves from tall trees, typically acacia trees. If they need to, giraffes can go for several days without water. Instead of drinking, giraffes stay hydrated by the moisture from leaves.

Behavior

Giraffes are non-territorial, social animals. They travel in large herds that are not organized in any way. Herds may consist of any combination of sexes or ages.

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