Where is giraffe live

NASA has even done research on the blood vessels in giraffe legs to get inspiration for human space suits. But if the results of the study above lead to the total giraffe population being split between four species, the adjustment could lead to one or more of them being classified as species under threat.

The natural habitat for giraffes used to be distributed throughout North and West Africa, including the Sahara, and along the Nile.

However, today giraffes are only found in sub-Sarahan Africa. Surprisingly enough for an African species, the giraffe originated from Eurasia, probably temperate Eurasia. This genus evolved seven to eight million years ago.

The giraffe genus Giraffa is part of the Giraffidae family, which contains only one other species: the rare okapi, the closest relative of the giraffe. This forest-dweller has a shorter neck, just like the extinct species from which both it and giraffes are thought to have evolved.

Okapi are the only living relative of the giraffe. Both are in the Giraffidae family, with girafffes in the Giraffa genus and okapi in the Okapia genus. Giraffidae are ruminants, and share a common ancestor with deer and bovids. On first sight, the two Giraffidae look quite different but do share a number of similar features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue.

In the okapi, the tongue can measure between 14 and 18 inches long and they can lick their own ears and eyelids. Read our guide to okapi and learn more about the species. Giraffes are also called a herd of giraffes.

Giraffe feet are the size of a dinner plate with a diameter of 30cm. These huge hooves prevent giraffes from sinking into loose sand despite their great weight. Therefore the giraffe was supposedly the only mammal in the world that could not swim indeed, the authoritative Handbook of the Mammals of the World states bluntly that it cannot. But this is probably wrong. A study in the Journal of Theoretical Biology used a complex digital model to prove that the average adult giraffe would, in fact, become buoyant in 2.

Admittedly its heavy front legs would tip the animal forward, so to keep its head clear it would need to crank its neck backwards at an awkward angle, while the legs, swept to the rear, would have limited power. So a giraffe could theoretically swim, but it would almost certainly never choose to, and it would be pretty terrible at it anyway.

Can They Swim? They only fuse with the skull later in life. Female giraffes give birth standing up. Their young endure a rather rude welcome into the world by falling more than 5 feet to the ground at birth. These infants can stand in half an hour and run with their mothers an incredible ten hours after birth. Giraffes have beautiful spotted coats. While no two individuals have exactly the same pattern, giraffes from the same area appear similar.

Up until recently, the consensus has been there is only one species of giraffe with multiple subspecies. In , some scientists released a study that claims genetic differences among giraffe populations indicate the existence of four distinct giraffe species. All rights reserved. How many vertebrae are in that long neck? A truly a unique species, giraffes are found only in sub-Saharan Africa and can reach unbelievable heights.

Learn surprising giraffe facts, such as why they need such enormous hearts and how they get by on less than thirty minutes of sleep each day.

A reticulated giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata and a Rothschild's giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi , two giraffe subspecies, photographed at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina, Kansas. Common Name: Giraffe. Scientific Name: Giraffa camelopardalis. Type: Mammals. Diet: Herbivore. Size: 14 to 19 feet. Weight: 1, to 2, pounds. Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Least Concern Extinct. Current Population Trend: Decreasing. Compared to other hoofed mammals the giraffe has a relatively short body, however, its legs are disproportionately long.

Mature giraffes have large hooves about the size of dinner plates, around 12 inches wide. Giraffes can inhabit savannas, grasslands or open woodlands. Giraffes prefer areas enriched with acacia growth a genus of shrubs and trees.

Until the middle of the 20th century giraffes were also commonly found in West Africa, south of the Sahara. But populations there have fallen sharply and become increasingly fragmented. Giraffes live in habitats where the available food varies throughout the year. During the dry season, giraffes eat evergreen leaves, however, once the rainy season begins, they switch to new leaves and stems that sprout on deciduous trees.

Also, twigs and branches are pulled into the mouth of the giraffe with their long and dextrous tongues. In the wild giraffes can eat up to 66 kilograms of food daily. When there is a choice, male and female giraffes feed in different ways. Males concentrate on leaves from the highest branches, while the females arch their necks to eat closer to the ground.

Because of this characteristic behaviour, a giraffe can be identified as either male or female from a long distance away simply by its stance while eating. Male giraffes are also more inclined to wander into dense woodland, a habitat that females generally avoid.

Giraffes drink large quantities of water and as a result, they can spend long periods of time in dry, arid areas. When searching for more food they will venture into areas with denser foliage. The giraffe has tough lips to ensure there is no damage to their mouths when chewing at trees and twigs such as thorns. Giraffes in captivity are generally fed on alfalfa hay and pellets, apples, carrots, bananas and browse elm and alder are favourites.

Female giraffes associate in groups of a dozen or so members, occasionally including a few younger males. Male giraffes tend to live in bachelor herds, with older males often leading solitary lives. A individual giraffe can join or leave the herd at any time and for no particular reason. Because giraffes are so widely scattered, it may seem that they do not keep in contact with each other, however, this is not true.

A giraffes keen eyesight means they can keep an eye on their neighbours even at a distance. Night is mostly spent lying down ruminating, especially in the hours after dark and before dawn.

The rest of the time male giraffes are searching for a female giraffe to mate with. Giraffe herds do not have a leader and individual giraffes show no particular preferences for others in the herd. Young giraffes are never left alone, however, they are looked after in a kind of nursery group where the females help look after each others calves baby giraffes.

Giraffes spend up to half their time feeding and most of the remainder is taken up either by searching for food or slowly digesting what they have eaten. Sometimes giraffes sleep during the daytime, often while standing.

Giraffes normally lie down only at night, tucking their feet under the body and usually keeping the head upright. However, when a giraffe is sleeping, something it does only for just a few minutes at a time, it curves its neck around and rests its head on or near its behind. One of the most fascinating elements of giraffe behaviour is the duel between males fighting for mating partners.

Giraffe duels are among the most extraordinary in the animal kingdom. Duels begin when two males approach each other and engage in rubbing and intertwining their necks.

It allows the opponents to assess each others size and strength. Often, necking alone is enough to establish dominance. If not, the rivals begin to exchange blows with their heads, using their short horns to tackle each other. Each giraffe braces its front legs and swings its head upward and over its shoulder. If a blow lands solidly, the giraffe may stagger under the impact and in rare cases may even collapse onto the ground. More often the contest breaks off after a few minutes and the loser simply walks away.