The giraffe is the
tallest animal in the world, attaining a height of 5.5 metres. Its incredibly
long neck accounts for much of its height. Adult males generally reach a height
of about 5 meters and females about 4.5 meters. Big males can weigh a massive
1200 kilograms while females usually weigh some 800 to 900 kilograms.
There may be at least
six species of giraffe that are reproductively isolated and not interbreeding
though no natural obstacles, like mountain ranges or impassable rivers, block
their mutual access. In fact, the study found that the two giraffe populations
that live closest to each other are the reticulated giraffe and the Masai giraffe.
Both sexes of the
animals have horns although the horns of a female are smaller. The prominent
horns are formed from ossified cartilage and are called ossicones. The
appearance of horns is a reliable method of identifying the sex of giraffes,
with the females displaying tufts of hair on the top of the horns while males'
horns tend to be bald on top.
Giraffes have long
necks. Contrary to popular belief, giraffes can both lie down and lower their
heads, thanks to special adaptations in their circulatory systems which prevent
their heads from filling with blood when lowered below their hearts. They
possess seven vertebrae in the neck, the usual number mammals that are
elongated. The vertebrae are separated by highly flexible joints. The base of
the neck has a spine which projects upward and forms a hump over the shoulders.
They have anchor muscles that hold the neck upright. With the advantage of
their very long necks, giraffes are able to feed on the foliage of trees that
is not accessible to other herbivores. The long prehensile tongue is used to
pull pods and leaves into the mouth which are then stripped from the stems with
the spatulate incisor teeth.
Giraffes also have
slightly elongated forelegs, about 10% longer than their hind legs. The pace of
the giraffe is an amblgait, though when pursued, it can run extremely fast. It
cannot sustain a lengthy chase. When hunting adult giraffes, lions try to knock
the lanky animal off its feet and pull it down. Giraffes are difficult and
dangerous prey though, and when attacked the giraffe defends itself by kicking
with great force. A single well-placed kick from an adult giraffe can shatter a
lion's skull or break its spine.
The male's fight for
dominance, and for the right to mate with females, It is something fascinating
to watch. They use their long muscular necks to strike at an opponent's body
and wrestle by twining their necks around each other. The loser is pushed off
balance and the encounters very rarely lead to serious injury.
However, giraffes are
generally quiet animals that go about their business with an air of serenity.
It is only when disturbed, they will snort and, when attacked by predators,
they bellow.
Many female giraffes
live in small social groups while males have been known to fight over territory
and partners. The lifespan of a giraffe is around 20 years, with captive
giraffes generally living longer.
Summary: The giraffe is the
tallest animal at a height of 5.5 meters. They have anchor muscles that hold
their long neck upright. Using their long necks, they feed on the foliage of
trees that is not accessible to others. They use their long prehensile tongues
to pull pods and leaves into their mouths. The pace of the giraffe can be
extremely fast. When attacked, it defends itself by kicking with great force. A
single well-placed kick can shatter a lion's skull. Giraffes use their long
muscular necks to strike and wrestle by twining their necks around each other.
Generally, they are quiet animals. Many females live in small social groups
while males have been known to fight over territory and partners. The lifespan
of a giraffe is around 20 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment