Giraffe Characteristics

The giraffe is a mammalian animal, it is native to Africa, and is characterized by its long neck, the name of giraffe derives from the mixture of three languages, Latin, Greek and Arabic. Of the first two it would be translated into "leopard camel" referring to its colors and from the Arabic its generic or better known name, "Ziraafa and / or Zarapha"Which became"Giraffe" and means "high”.

Giraffe Characteristics:

Source.- The origin of this animal seems to be between Asia and Africa, initially there were more varieties, but currently there are only two descendants of the original branch, the Giraffe and the okapi. These are part of the giraffidae classification, which is that of giraffes.

Its existence is estimated to be between fifty billion years (50,000,000,000) and thirty billion years (30,000,000,000).

Reproduction.- Reproduction is viviparous, caused by the sexual union of the male and female gametes, this union is as it happens with the rest of the mammals when internally fertilizing in the female the ovule by the sperm.

Feeding.- This animal is herbivorous, its food is composed mainly of leaves located in the treetops, and it is precisely its long neck that allows them to eat these foods. It is known that this species of animals was capable of feeding on poisonous plants such as some ancient ferns, which could expel alkaloid-type substances. It is estimated that they ate this type of leaves while walking so as not to consume them when the plant released the alkaloids. The giraffe has developed a somewhat unusual technique to be able to drink water, it is essential for its long neck to open its legs like an inverted V and lower its head to the water. Their diet consists of branches, leaves and even some types of thorns, and they consume up to 30 kilos of food in a single day.

These animals are ruminants so their feeding is carried out throughout the day re-chewing the food and preparing it for its final digestion.

Bones.- Its bones are firm, and even initially it was calculated that its long neck would have more vertebrae than the neck of the rest of the animals, but at the studying their skeletons, specialists have noticed that they have the same number of vertebrae as a person and many other animals vertebrates.

Dimensions.- The dimensions of the giraffe are approximately the following:

• Weight.- It can be between 700 kilos to 1.7 tons.
• Height.- Its height varies from approximately 4.5 meters in height in the embra and 5.9 or 6 meters in the males. Generally, the males are somewhat more robust, with a thicker and longer neck than the females.

Classification.- The giraffe has its own classification "giraffidae", and as mentioned above, its antecedents are already extinct, leaving only two varieties, the "giraffe" as such and the "okapi".

Antlers.- The antler of the giraffe is relatively small compared to other types of ruminants, it is used for defense in which they hit with their small crest, this is even smaller in the female than in the male and is used to fight and decide which male will occupy the main position in the herd. It is composed of calcareous mass (calcium or bone) and is covered with keratin (type of nail) that allows it to grow.

Gregariousness.- Giraffes are gregarious animals, this involves the formation of herds and the natural and generally violent choice of their Alpha leader. It guides the herd to the foraging places, the places where the water is.

Habitat.- The natural habitat of the giraffe is the semi-desert steppe such as those located in Africa and some parts of Asia.