Giraffe
Giraffe Camelopardalis
Classification
- Domain Eukarya: All their cells have a nucleus , their either multicellular or single celled, or Eukaryotes or Prokaryotes.
- Kingdom Animalia: All animals are part of Kingdom Animalia, they are all multicellular and heterotrophs, and most reproduce sexually.
- Phylum Chordata: They have a complete digestive system, also they have a bilateral system, and a segmented body and muscles.
- Subphylum Vertebrata: They have a ventral heart with 2-4 chambers, also they are all vertebrates, and they have a digestive system with big digestive glands.
- Class Mammalia: This Class has about 5,000 species split in 26 orders, all mammals share at least three things in common middle ear bones, hair, and the capability of producing milk from their mammary glands.
- Order Artiodactyla: Today they are the most diverse, largest, and terrestrial mammals alive today, they are the fifth largest order mammals, and they are divided into three suborders.
- Family Giraffidae: It includes two living species, the giraffe in the okapi, they all have longnecks, thin lips, and long tongues, and their stomachs have four complex chambers.
- Genus Giraffa: Giraffes
- Species Giraffa Camelopardalis: Giraffe Camelopardalis.
General Description
Height: An adult giraffes height range is up to 4.25-5.5 m.
Colors: The giraffes color depends on their race. But they all have short wiry hair with the background hair of the color cream with borders of gold to orange, and bloches of brown or black.
Diet: Giraffes eat acacia, Mimosa brush, and combretum trees that can go up to 2.5 meters tall, they also eat leaves and shoots, and they eat over 100 plant species. For example herbs , it really depend on the season and what's available in their environment.
Predators: Giraffes are only hunted by humans, lions, and crocodiles. But they don't have to hide because they can easily defend themselves with their legs and hooves.
Habitat: Giraffes tend to live in wooded savannas, acacia woods, and semidesert land or areas, mostly dry and humid areas.
Range: Giraffes range is north Nigeria, Burkani, Mali, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan and Somalia south of Africa, dry and humid lands and areas.
Physical Adaptations
- They have an opening inside their neck that allows blood to flow to the brain when they bow/bend their head/neck down , but prevents blood from going back down to the heart when they stand back up.
- Giraffes have hard, heavy, and strong hooves. This helps them protect themselves from predators, they can simply step on predators or prey to cause harm or death, it can also help them catch prey.
- Giraffes have very high blood pressure, because their blood has to travel a long way from their heart to their head. Its a long way to their heart to their brain because of their long necks.
- They have bendable knees to help with picking up things from the ground, drinking water, and eating things off of the ground.
- Giraffes have a long neck, this helps them stalk prey from the tops of trees, fighting, protecting themselves, and "necking."
Behaivoral Adaptations
- Male Giraffes spar by stepping on other giraffes necks, this helps them with self defense.
- Baby calves stay with their mother five months after suckling ceases, this could help with teaching the infant how to survive, defend themselves, and find/hunt food alone without the mothers guidance.
- They practice a ritual called "necking," where two giraffes stand next to each other and hit there necks and heads together to establish dominance.
- Female giraffes sometimes whistle to their calves as a call and warning that trouble is coming.
- Giraffes stalk their prey from the tops of tree, this helps them catch and find prey.