Giraffes

Introduction:
Giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world, and are known for the beautiful pattern on their skin - large, brown spots on a yellowish background. There are nine generally accepted subspecies, differentiated by colour and pattern variations, and range.

Location:
Africa is the only continent in the world where giraffes live. They like grasslands and woodlands - flat, grassy areas in amongst trees and bushes. In Africa, these areas are called savannahs. They are most popular in Niger, located mostly on the area of Sahara Desert in North Africa. There are also found in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania on the east of the continent, and South Africa, and Botswana in the far south.

Size:
Males can grow up to 18 ft (5.5 m) tall, and can weigh up to 3,000 lbs (1,360 kg). Their bodies from front to hind legs are approximately 5 ft (1.5 m), with a tasselled tail measuring an additional 3 ft (1 m). Their neck usually measures 8 - 10 ft (2.5 - 3 m), and their long, thin, hoofed legs are about 5 - 6 ft (1.5 - 2 m) tall. A giraffe's head is about 2 ft (0.6 m).

Food:
Giraffes only eat plants, amongst their favourites are the leaves from mimosa and acacia trees. An adult giraffe can eat up to 140 lbs (63 kg) of leaves and plants a day. Giraffes first chew their food, swallow for processing and then visibly regurgitate the semi-digested food up their necks and back into the mouth, in order to chew again. This process is usually repeated several times for each mouthful. Similar to camels, they can go for a long time without water, but when they do drink, they can ingest up to 12 gallons of water at once.

Life Cycle:
Giraffe gestation lasts between 14 to 15 months, after which a single calf is born. The mother gives birth standing up and the embryonic sack usually bursts when the baby falls to the ground. Newborn giraffes are about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall. Within a few hours of being born, calves can run around and are indistinguishable from a week-old calf. However, for the first two weeks, they spend most of their time lying down, guarded by the mother. While mothers feed, the young are kept in small nursery groups. The young, however, can fall prey to lions, leopards, hyenas, and African wild dogs. Only 25 to 50% of giraffe calves reach adulthood. Their life expectancy is between 20 and 25 years old in the wild.

Interesting Facts:
· The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, which is between 10 minutes and two hours in a 24-hour period, averaging 1.9 hours per day.
· They are gentle animals, who like a peaceful and quiet life, and they almost never make any noise. Only sometimes will they grunt or snort to communicate each other.
· Their long legs make giraffes excellent runners - they can run up to 55 km (35 miles) per hour.
· The pattern of each giraffe is unique, and there are no two identical giraffes in the world.
· They are related to deer and cattle.
· A giraffe's spots get darker with age.
· Giraffes are non-territorial, social animals and they travel in large herds.

Population & Predators:
Although adult giraffes don't get attacked very often due to their size, speed and camouflaged skin, predators such lions, hyenas, and leopards are their biggest enemies. Young calves are easier to catch, and despite their mother's care, more than half of them fall prey to lions and hyenas. In West Africa, the giraffe population is increasingly shrinking, however, the populations in eastern and southern Africa are stable. Giraffe are a protected species in most of their range.

Help Protect Their Environment:
· Due to the increasing spread of the desert in West Africa, and the increasing need to clear land for agriculture, it can be said that habitat destruction is the greatest threat to giraffes and many of Africa's other large animals. The combination of hunting and habitat loss have driven giraffes to extinction in a number of countries, including Mauritania, Senegal, and possibly Mozambique and Mali. The future of giraffes and Africa's other famed plains animals lies in careful conservation of extensive habitats, both on park and private lands.