Animal Fact Sheet
Previous | Next
Reticulated Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata
What does it look
like?
From 14-18 feet tall and weighs 1,750 -2,800 pounds. Although a
giraffe is very tall, like humans, it has only seven neck vertebrae.
Its long neck allows the giraffe to reach food high up in the trees.
Its long tail is used to swat insects away. Long eyelashes and closeable
nostrils protect against blowing sand. Upper lip acts like a finger
to pull on tree branches while eating. The tongue, which can be
up to 18 inches long, helps in eating. Hooves are the size of dinner
plates. To drink, giraffes must splay their legs or kneel. Most
giraffes are tan with irregular dark brown spots. The reticulated
giraffe is tan with white markings. A giraffe’s spots are
like fingerprints; each is unique pattern.
 |
| Habitat
Giraffes originally came from many different parts of Africa, mainly
south of the Sahara, but today most can be found in national parks
or game preserves. The reticulated giraffe can be found in northeastern
Kenya.
Social Life
Male ranges are fairly stable with the dominant bull establishing
his place among males by neck sparring. Female ranges are less stable,
though females usually return to the same calving areas each year
and males join the females occasionally. Gestation is approximately
15 months. There is only one calf (baby giraffe) born at a time.
The cow (female giraffe) will nurse the calf for 9-10 months. A
cow can bear her first calf at 5 years of age. A giraffe can live
as long as 28 years and will stay in the same general area, which
is about 29 square miles, for most of its life.
Predators
Lions are the only animals that will attack an adult giraffe. Lions,
leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and crocodiles can kill young or weak
giraffes and the survival rate of young is low. Although giraffes
are protected from poachers, some still kill for their tails that
are used to make bracelets and string. The hides can be used for
shields. |
|
Feeding
Giraffes are ungulates that ruminate. They eat shoots, leaves, fruits
(particularly that of the sausage tree), and seedpods. Their favorite
food is the acacia tree. They especially like the spiny acacia and
the young whistling thorn acacia. Acacia trees contain almost all
of the nutrients a giraffe needs except salt and calcium. A giraffe
can consume up to 75 pounds of food in a 24-hour period. Although
many animals try to avoid acacia trees because of their thorns,
a giraffe’s mouth is almost puncture proof. Long thick hairs
on its lips act as a shield. Giraffes can go a long time without
drinking water when they eat acacia leaves that can be up to 74%
water. Giraffes are water efficient because they do not sweat or
pant.
Giraffes and Man
Giraffes need a lot of space in which to forage but their habitat
is slowly shrinking due to an increase in farming. Today most live
in national parks or game preserves. Though hunting is no longer
allowed, in the past they were hunted for their tails and hides.
There are some African ranches that raise giraffes for meat.
|
