The Giraffe

What is Special about giraffes?

•Both male and female have horns

•The giraffe has the longest tail of any land mammal. They can be 8 feet long

•They have unusually long necks

•The heart of a giraffe is about two feet long (the largest of all animals)

•The tongue of a giraffe is almost two feet long

•All giraffes have different patterns on their bodies

Birth Of A Giraffe•After about 15 months of waiting the mother finally gives birth to a baby giraffe

•A baby giraffe is called a calf

•When born the calf falls headfirst to the ground about six feet

•An hour after its birth it is walking

Childhood of a Giraffe

•When growing up the calf will often be left sitting alone while its mother is out eating

•At four months the calf can start to eat leaves

•The calf will leave its mother after a year

•At about age 4 the giraffe will become mature

Predators•The lion, crocodile and hyena are predators to the giraffe

•Humans are also predators

•They are hunted for: meat, coat and their tails

•For defense the giraffe has powerful legs to kick the predator

Eating and Sleeping•The tongue of a giraffe is about 18 inches

•It is colored blue-black to prevent sunburn

•They eat about 65 pounds of food a day

•At most a giraffe sleeps 2 hours a day

•When sleeping they can stand up

Diet•Eats twigs and leaves

•Favorite food is from the acacia tree

•Also they like fruit

Home of the Giraffe•All giraffes can be found in Africa

•Mainly live in the savannah or the grasslands

The Subspecies of Giraffes• There are nine subspecies of

Giraffes

1. West African

2. Nubian

3. Rothschild (endangered)

4. Masai

5. Somali (most common in zoos)

6. Tornicroft

7. Kordofan

8. Angolan

9. South African

•The main difference between the giraffes is the pattern and variation of color of their skin

A Grown Giraffe

•A full grown male weighs from 2,400 and 4,000 pounds and can be 18 feet tall

•A full grown female weighs 1,600 to 2,600 pounds and will grow to be 16 feet tall

•The average life span of a giraffe is 25 years

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