Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Classification
Domain Eukarya: The domain Eukarya's members are all eukaryotes, which means they have a nucleus and are either single or multicellular. This domain also consist of all four kingdoms, Kingdom Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
Kingdom Animalia: All animals are apart of this kingdom and all of these members are multicellular eukaryotes. All of the members are capable of movement sometime in their life, and most reproduce sexually. Animalia members get there nourishment from other organisms and most digest their food.
Phylum Chordata: All members of the phylum Chordata, or chordates have bilateral symmetry, a complete digestive system, a ventral heart, and other characteristics.
Subphylum Vertebrata: All members of the subphylum Vertebrata or vertebrates, are fishes, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. All vertebrates have a vertebral column, a ventral heart with 2-4 chambers, and generally a body consisting of a head, a postanal tail and other physical parts.
Class Mammalia: All members of the class mammalia or mammals have hair on their body at some point in their life, sweat glands known as mammary glands, 3 middle ear bones, and females have the ability to produce milk for their young children. Mammals are found in all oceans, continents, and many islands.
order Artiodactyla: All members of the order Artiodactyla hard hooves, small feet for their size, long lightweight limbs, and most have 2 to 4 toes on each foot, these animals are known as even-toed ungulates. The members of this class are native to all continents except for Australia and Antarctica.
Family Giraffidae: The Okapi and the Giraffe, which are the only species in the family Giraffidae, have these characteristics that make them part of this family. They have long and narrow hooved feet, long prehensile tongues, four-chambered complex stomachs, horns unique to them, as well as many other things.
Genus Giraffa: Giraffes.
Species: Giraffa camelopardalis.
General Description
Weight: Male Giraffes or bulls weigh up to 1,930 kg, female giraffes or cows weigh up to 1,180 kg, and newborns weigh 50 to 55 kg.
Color: Male and female giraffes have a spotted coat, the coats spotts can be small, medium, or large, and the coats color can be altered over a giraffes life time. The giraffes coat is also very good for helping to camofluage the animal.
Natural Range: To find the giraffe in its natural habitat you would have to travel to Africa. The giraffe lives in the savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa and it is rarely seen in the west, south, and central parts of Africa.
Diet: Giraffes are herbivores, meaning they do not eat meat and their diet uasally consit of leaves, fruits, seed pods, and flowers, and sometimes if the floor of the savanna that they live in is salty and full of minerals they will eat soil.
Habitat: Giraffes live in the wooded savannas of Africa, usually savannas of with many acacia trees. Their habitats are also very hot.
Predators: The Giraffe's predators are, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, but usually only if the griaffe is at a drinking hole, and their main predator the lion. Predators of giraffes uasally attack the sick, elderly, and young giraffes who can't defend themselves.
Extra Facts:
- Giraffes live up to 26 years of age.
- First able to breed at 4 1/2 for bulls (male) and 3 1/2 for cows (female).
- Male giraffes are called bulls and females are called cows.
Giraffes Natural Range Map
Giraffe
Drinking Hole
Physical Adaptations
Behavioral Adaptations
References
Burton, M., & Burton, R. (2002). Giraffe. In International wildlife encyclopedia v.1 (AAR-BAR) (3rd ed., Vol. 7, pp. 975-977). New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Giraffa camelopardalis. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from Encyclopedia of Life website: http://eol.org/pages/308378/details#reproduction
Giraffe. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from The Animal Files website: http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/hoofed_mammals/giraffe.html
Giraffe. (2015). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from San Diego Zoo website: http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/giraffe
Giraffe, giraffa camelopardalis. (2003, November). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from San Diego Zoo website: http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/giraffe/giraffe_summary.htm
Maisano, S. 2006. "Giraffa camelopardalis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 11, 2015 at http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Giraffa_camelopardalis/