GIRAFFE / GIRAFFES (post 1, comment 2)
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The giraffe is an iconic African mammal known for its long neck and legs. They are the tallest land animals in the world, standing up to 18 feet tall. Giraffes are herbivores and mainly feed on leaves and buds of trees, using their long necks to reach high branches. They live in savannas and open woodlands in Africa and are social animals that live in herds. Male giraffes, known as bulls, engage in necking, a behavior where they swing their necks and hit each other with their horns in order to establish dominance. Giraffes are also known for their distinctive spotted pattern, which helps to camouflage them in their natural environment.
I'll be posting a lot more Giraffe images over the next few weeks, but here's one from an amazing evening in the Hoanib valley at sunset...
Sunrise in Kruger National Park, just as a giraffe plods by, along with many other animals heading to the river close by.
Giraffes are best known for their long necks and the striking coat patterns of irregular brown patches on a lighter background. Each giraffe has a pattern that is unique to that individual, like a human fingerprint. This may help hide them from predators, particularly when they are young, since the bloches tend to break up their outline when they are among trees. Giraffes are divided into several subspecies depending on their geographic location, color and coat pattern.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Kenya
East Africa
Click on Image to Enlarge.
Herd of giraffes enjoying some leaves off of the acacia trees. Their tongue is eighteen inches long and prehensile. They use their tongue as one would a hand to grab at the leaves. Their tongue is also slimy feeling and coated with saliva to slide over the thorns on the tree as they eat. One of the things I learned about giraffes is that they have seven vertabrae in their necks, the same number we do, and their heads can weigh as much as twenty-five pounds.
There was no shortage of newborn Giraffes in Namibia. This was a set of twins in a herd of about 7 total wandering a waterbed (the Khumbib River) after fresh rain. There were tons of game trails in the area, signs of these animals everywhere, along with the Springbok, Oryx, Zebra, and others.
Having a drink of water tends to be somewhat challenging when you are over four metres tall. In order to quickly drink from a watering source before being seen by predators, Giraffes spread their front legs at awkward angles, leaving them in a rather vulnerable position and before lower their head
Giraffe have learnt to deal with this difficulty in various ways. Their need for water is reduced by the fact that they are able to obtain almost all they need from the plants they eat. An adult giraffe will only need to drink water once a day. Giraffe do not sweat or pant like many other mammals, their body temperature fluctuates according to the surrounding temperatures this allows them to conserve water.
Many thanks to everyone who chooses to leave a comment or add this image to their favorites, it is much appreciated.
©Elsie van der Walt, all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you are interested in using one of my images, please send me an E-mail (elsie.vdwalt@gmail.com).
This giraffe had that far away look------ I played around with it----hope you like it! -----HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND YOU GUYS---THANKS FOR VISITING!
Two Giraffes making the rounds of the feeding stations at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rode Island.
#zoo
#giraffe
#animals
#providence
#roger williams park zoo
Found this guy at the Pittsburgh Zoo...Thank you very much for viewing my photo ! I truly appreciate any faves and comments ! 😊
Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi), San Diego Zoo. Conservation Status: Threatened