Giraffe
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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.
Sunrise in Kruger National Park, just as a giraffe plods by, along with many other animals heading to the river close by.
The Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi), also known as the Maasai Giraffe or Kilimanjaro Giraffe, is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.
The Masai Giraffe has jagged spots on its body. It also has a short tassel of hair on its tail. The bony outgrowths of the male's skull superficially provide the appearance of up to 5 ossicones. The dominant male's spots tend to be darker in colour than those of other members of its herd.
Adult males usually reach around 6 m in height—although they have been recorded at reaching heights of up to approximately 6.5 m—and females tend to be a bit shorter at around 5–5.5 m (16–18.0 ft) tall. Their legs and necks are both approximately 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long, and their heart has a mass of roughly 12 kg (26 lb).
There is no seasonal breeding season for the Masai Giraffe. Females can typically breed at 4. They give birth standing up. It takes 2–6 hours for a giraffe to give birth. About 50–75% of the calves die in their first few months due to predation. Even though many calves die, the mothers will stab predators such as hyenas or lions with their sharp hooves. This will critically injure or kill a predator quickly; the Masai Giraffe's kick is strong and will crush a lion's skull or shatter its spine.
"Los Angeles Zoo" California.
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.
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.
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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!
... are wishing you a Happy Weekend !
(The whole family in first comment)
Seen on our travel from Ndutu to Moru Kopjes, Tanzania, Africa
Two Giraffes making the rounds of the feeding stations at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rode Island.
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Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi), San Diego Zoo. Conservation Status: Threatened
The giraffe is a genus of African even-toed ungulate mammals, the tallest living terrestrial animals and the largest ruminants.