Chapter 14

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Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans about 6 feet. These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances and cruise comfortably at 10 miles an hour over longer distances.

Typically, these fascinating animals roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen.

Bulls sometimes battle one another by butting their long necks and heads. Such contests aren't usually dangerous and end when one animal submits and walks away.

 Such contests aren't usually dangerous and end when one animal submits and walks away

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iraffes use their height to good advantage and browse on leaves and buds in treetops that few other animals can reach (acacias are a favorite). Even the giraffe's tongue is long! The 21-inch tongue helps them pluck tasty morsels from branches.

Giraffes eat most of the time and, like cows, regurgitate food and chew it as cud. A giraffe eats hundreds of pounds of leaves each week and must travel miles to find enough food.

The giraffe's height also helps it to keep a sharp lookout for predators across the wide expanse of the African savanna.

The giraffe's stature can be a disadvantage as well. It is difficult and dangerous for a giraffe to drink at a water hole. To do so they must spread their legs and bend down in an awkward position that makes them vulnerable to predators like Africa's big cats. Giraffes only need to drink once every several days; they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat.

Giraffes have beautiful spotted coats. While no two individuals have exactly the same pattern, giraffes from the same area appear similar.

Up until recently, the consensus has been there is only one species of giraffe with multiple subspecies. In 2016, some scientists released a study that claims genetic differences among giraffe populations indicate the existence of four distinct giraffe species.

Due to their large size, these animals spend a lot of time eating, usually in the mornings and evenings. They rest standing up during the night. In the heat of the day, they will rest in shady areas, regurgitating the food and then ingesting it again.

Female giraffes and their young gather into small herds, keeping constantly together, in order to protect the calves from predators

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Female giraffes and their young gather into small herds, keeping constantly together, in order to protect the calves from predators. Males prefer leading solitary lives, traveling long distances to find a fertile female. When two rival males encounter each other, they start "necking" bumping heads and interlocking the necks to defend their mating rights and set up a dominance hierarchy.

The winner of the encounter will be allowed to mate with local females. Giraffes are polygynous, meaning that males mate with multiple females. Usually, males engage in combats, after which the winner gets right to mate with receptive females whenever and wherever it finds them. Females tend to give birth to a single calf around 400–460 days after mating; females give birth whilst standing up. Female giraffes give birth standing up.

Their young endure a rather rude welcome into the world by falling more than 5 feet to the ground at birth. These infants can stand in half an hour and run with their mothers an incredible ten hours after birth.

 These infants can stand in half an hour and run with their mothers an incredible ten hours after birth

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Baby Giraffes can stand within half an hour and after only 10 hours can run alongside their family. Young giraffes hang out in nursery groups until they are around 5 months old, resting and playing together while their mothers forage in the distance; one female will tend to stay and look after the young. Males are not involved in the raising of young. Normally, the gestation period lasts 13-15 months, yielding a single baby, rarely - twins. The female gives birth in a calving area, which she further uses throughout her life.

A newborn calf is able to walk in just an hour after birth and can run within 24 hours after birth. Weaning occurs at 1 year old. Then, at the age of 15 months, the young become fully independent. While sexual maturity is reached at 4-5 years old, males start mating no sooner than 8 years of age.

Giraffes have one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, and will only sleep for around four hours a day. They sleep either laying down with their necks resting on their bodies, or standing up. Sleep occurs in short intervals, sometimes less than a minute..

Hunting and poaching are among major threats to giraffes’ population. These animals attract hunters for their meat, skin, and tail. Another concern is the loss of their natural habitat due to human activities. The overall number of giraffe population is recently estimated to be about 97,562 individuals and is presently decreasing. On the IUCN Red List, this species is classified as Vulnerable. Giraffe is one of the animal that I love the most ❤!

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