What kind of pattern does a giraffe have?
Giraffe coat patterns. Skin. The coat design of giraffes is one of their most striking features. According to the subspecies, the kind of pattern varies, but besides that, each giraffe has a unique and unrepeatable pattern of spots that get darker with age, but never change their design.
What is a female giraffe called?
As in cattle, female giraffes are called cows, while the males are called bulls. After mating, the cow will have a gestation period of around 14 months. Baby giraffes are called calves.
What does a giraffe head look like?
The head of a giraffe is small and quite long with a rounded mouth at the end of it. They feature little ears that look like those of a deer on the sides of their ossicones.
What color is a giraffe’s coat?
A giraffe’s coat color can range from light tan to nearly black, depending on what the giraffe eats and where it lives. Giraffe coat colors vary from light tan to practically black. Each giraffe’s markings are as individual as human fingerprints.
How would you describe a giraffe pattern?
Their heads are topped with bony horns, and their tails are tipped with a tuft of fur. A short mane runs down the length of their long necks, and their coat is covered with a blotched/blocky pattern.
What are the bumps on a giraffe's head called?
Giraffe 'horns' are not actually called horns, but 'ossicones' and both female and male giraffe have them. Ossicones are formed from ossified (hardened into bone) cartilage and are covered in skin.
Do giraffes have patterned skin?
While all giraffes possess unique markings, each subspecies possess certain traits in common, including marking patterns. Among the subspecies of giraffe, the one with the largest population is the Masai. This would make the Masai pattern the most common among giraffes.
Why are giraffes patterned?
Giraffes — like tigers, zebras and jaguars — are covered in patterns that aid in regulating body temperature and help signal to other animals that they're part of the same species. The markings also act as camouflage, optically breaking up the body shapes of animals to hide them from predators.
What is the hair on a giraffe neck called?
Just like humans, giraffes have seven neck vertebrae. For giraffes, however, each one can be over 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) long! Both male and female giraffes have two distinct, hair-covered horns called ossicones. Male giraffes use their horns to spar, throwing their neck against each other.
Do giraffes have 3 hearts?
How Many Hearts Do We Have? You surely know that humans and giraffes have just one heart, as most animals do—but not all. Octopuses and squids (animals called cephalopods) have three hearts. Two hearts pump blood to the gills to take up oxygen, and the other pumps blood around the body (Figure 1).
How many different giraffe patterns are there?
Although there is some disagreement in the scientific world about the exact number of subspecies, there are nine possible ones. These include Reticulated, Kordofan, Nubian, Angolan, South African or Cape, Rothschild's or Ugandan, West African or Nigerian, Thornicroft's and Masai.
Do giraffe have stripes?
Just like human fingerprints and zebra stripes, the coat pattern of a giraffe is unique to that animal. The pattern and the small hump on a giraffe's back are similar to those of a leopard.
Why do giraffes have a fringed tail?
Fringed tail - A fringe at the end of the tail keeps flies and other pests away. Hind legs - The hind legs are shorter than the front legs. Hoofed feet - A tough hoof protects each foot. Short horns - Males have knobbed, hairless horns, females have thinner, tufted horns.
What is giraffe patches?
Giraffe's patches (spots) are first and foremost for camouflage. But underneath each patch lies a very sophisticated system of blood vessels. Around each patch there is a quite large blood vessel that then branches off into smaller vessels underneath the patch.
How do giraffe spots form?
A giraffe's spots and blotches are superimposed upon dark grey skin. The pattern arises from an initial distribution of melanin-producing cells in the embryo, and later on, where and to what extent the melanocytes release their dark pigment.
Why do giraffes have a camouflage coat?
Camouflage is one of several potential theories biologists have pondered over the years for why giraffes look as they do: The spots may also help attract mates, regulate the animals' temperature, or may simply be how the animals recognize each other. Spots may play a central role in how herds come together.
What is the color of a giraffe's fur?
Giraffes have short, dense fur with a unique pattern of dark patches that range from beige to chestnut brown. Although no two giraffe skin patterns are exactly the same, some regional patterns are so common and distinct that zoologists have identified a number of giraffe subspecies based on the patterns.
What is the neck of a giraffe?
The neck is a remarkable feature on a giraffe. It is still a mind-boggling characteristic of this animal. During evolution, like most mammals, the giraffes internal system synchronized to suit its lifestyle and the special valves grew simultaneously with the giraffes heart and neck. The legs on a giraffe are also very long and if you look at ...
What are giraffe hides?
Giraffes hides are a spectacular array of polygon shaped patches, usually brown in colour. This hide is unique to each giraffe – no two hides are the same. Giraffes hides also help them to camouflage from predators in trees and woodland. The polygons are larger on the body than on the face and limbs and their underbelly usually has no pattern at all. Giraffes have short, dense fur with a unique pattern of dark patches that range from beige to chestnut brown.
How many vertebrae are in a giraffe's neck?
Giraffe Neck. A giraffes neck can measure over 1.5 metres (5 feet) in length, however, it contains only seven vertebrae the same number as in most other mammals, including humans. These vertebrae are extremely long and are separated by very flexible joints.
Why are giraffes called camels?
For a long time people called the giraffe a camel-leopard, because they believed that it was a combination of a camel and a leopard. This is where the giraffes species name comes from.
Why is the neck of a giraffe so long?
The giraffes neck is so long that body modifications had to be required during evolution from shorter-necked animals like the Okapi. The heart of the giraffe would have to be very large in order to pump blood to the brain whilst the giraffe was bent over having a drink. Unfortunately, too much blood being pumped to its brain at one time would be ...
How many horns do giraffes have?
Giraffes can have up to three of these large bumps, two in the rear of the skull and one in the forehead region, so that it may look like they have five horns. This characteristic which is found in no other mammal is linked to the fights that male giraffes stage to establish dominance for mating.
What are the characteristics of a giraffe?
The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi.
Where did the name Giraffe come from?
The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarāfah ( زرافة ), perhaps borrowed from the animal's Somali name geri. The Arab name is translated as "fast-walker". In early Modern English the spellings jarraf and ziraph were used, probably directly from the Arabic, and in Middle English orafle and gyrfaunt, gerfaunt. The Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe.
How many giraffes are there?
However, the existence of up to nine extant giraffe species has been described, based upon research into the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, as well as morphological measurements of Giraffa. Seven other species are extinct, prehistoric species known from fossils.
How fast can a giraffe run?
The giraffe can reach a sprint speed of up to 60 km/h (37 mph), and can sustain 50 km/h (31 mph) for several kilometres. A giraffe rests by lying with its body on top of its folded legs. To lie down, the animal kneels on its front legs and then lowers the rest of its body.
How many species of giraffe are there?
The IUCN and most giraffe scientists currently recognise only one species of giraffe with nine subspecies. During the 1900s, various taxonomies with 2 or 3 species were proposed. In 2001, a two-species taxonomy was proposed. A 2007 study on the genetics of giraffes, suggested six species.
Where are Rothschild's giraffes found?
Rothschild's giraffe ( G. c. rothschildi) may be an ecotype of G. camelopardalis. Its range includes parts of Uganda and Kenya. Its presence in South Sudan is uncertain. This giraffe has large dark patches that usually have complete margins, but may also have sharp edges. The dark spots may also have paler radiating lines or streaks within them. Spotting does not often reach below the hocks and almost never to the hooves. This ecotype may also develop five "horns". Around 1,500 individuals believed to remain in the wild, and more than 450 are kept in zoos. According to genetic analysis circa September 2016, it is conspecific with the Nubian giraffe ( G. c. camelopardalis ).
What is the mane of a dwarf giraffe?
Along the animal's neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs. The one-metre (3.3-ft) tail ends in a long, dark tuft of hair and is used as a defense against insects. Two specimens of dwarf giraffes were found in Namibia and Uganda, named Gimli and Nigel.
What color are giraffes?
The skin of the giraffes has a characteristic smell that repels insects and parasites and the dark parts also function as a thermoregulation system. Brown, dark orange, light brown and beige are the primary colors in the coats of giraffes. Head.
What are the characteristics of a giraffe?
Giraffe Anatomy. Giraffe Physical Characteristics. Giraffes are the tallest terrestrial animals and have a unique and enigmatic appearance. They have a body design that is very different from any others out there. Due to how tall they are it is hard to believe that they can weigh so much.
What is the most striking feature of a giraffe?
Skin. The coat design of giraffes is one of their most striking features. According to the subspecies, the kind of pattern varies, but besides that, each giraffe has a unique and unrepeatable pattern of spots that get darker with age, but never change their design.
What do giraffes eat?
A series of papillae protect the lips, tongue, and interior of the mouth from the dangerous thorns of the plants and trees that giraffes eat, like the Acacia tree. The extra long and prehensile tongue of the giraffe also helps them to clean bugs off their face as well as to reach very high for food sources in the trees.
What does a giraffe's head look like?
The head of a giraffe is small and quite long with a rounded mouth at the end of it. They feature little ears that look like those of a deer on the sides of their ossicones. Face and tongue. The face of giraffes has a friendly and peaceful look.
How much does a giraffe weigh?
A full grown male giraffe can weigh up to 2,600 pounds while females are quite a bit smaller about 1 ,800 pounds. Size. Evidently, the first thing that grabs our attention is the great height they have which oscillates between 15 and 20 feet, being the males higher than females.
How tall are giraffes?
The anatomy of giraffes has unique characteristics as up to 19.5 feet in height, 3,000 pounds in weight and a neck that despite reaching up to two meters in length, has only seven vertebrae, the same as the human neck. Navigation Menu.
What is a giraffe called when it mating?
As in cattle, female giraffes are called cows, while the males are called bulls. After mating, the cow will have a gestation period of around 14 months. Baby giraffes are called calves. During birth, the calf will drop to the ground, since mother giraffes give birth standing up.
What are the two giraffidae?
In the Giraffidae family, there are two genera: Giraffa and Okapia. The okapi is sometimes called the forest giraffe. The Giraffa genus has recently had a shake-up after a recent study recognized four species, not just one.
How many giraffes are there in Africa?
Researchers from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) collected and analyzed DNA from skin samples representing 190 giraffes from across Africa, the first such analysis to include data from all nine formerly accepted subspecies.
How long do giraffes sleep?
Giraffes only sleep around 20 minutes or less per day, according to PBS Nature. Staying awake most of the time allows them to be constantly on alert for predators. They usually get their sleep in quick power naps that last just a couple of minutes. Every giraffe has two hair-covered horns called ossicones.
How many species are there in the Giraffidae family?
In the Giraffidae family, there are two genera: Giraffa and Okapia. The okapi is sometimes called the forest giraffe. The Giraffa genus has recently had a shake-up after a recent study recognized four species, not just one. The 2016 study was published in the journal Current Biology.
How fast can a giraffe run?
Thanks to their long legs, giraffes are very fast. They can run 35 mph (56 km/h) in short bursts and run for longer stretches at 10 mph (16 km/h), according to National Geographic.
How many leaves can a giraffe eat?
Their long necks allow them to reach leaves, seeds, fruits, buds and branches high up in mimosa and acacia trees. They can eat hundreds of pounds of leaves per week, according to National Geographic. Though these animals eat a lot, giraffes can go without drinking for weeks at a time.
What is the color of a giraffe?
The light color has earned the Western giraffe the nickname "Blonde" giraffe or "White" giraffe.
How long are giraffes' legs?
Front and rear legs are about the same length, however, between 5.5 and 6 feet long .
How many species of giraffe are there?
giraffe subspecies. Current zoological classification states there is just one species of giraffe, but we believe this will change within the next 5 to 10 years. Presently there are between 8 and 11 subspecies of giraffes recognized by the scientific community, differentiated almost exclusively by coat color and pattern.
Where do giraffes live?
They occur across Kenya and Tanzania along the Maasai Mara river. Maasai giraffes are tall, with a very dark and distinct pattern of crooked spots that look like vine leaves or distorted stars.
How tall is a giraffe?
The giraffe is the largest ruminant and the worlds tallest animal. Male giraffes can be 18 feet tall at the top of the horns. Giraffes have 2 to 5 horns called "occicones". The giraffes neck is 6 to 8 feet long and can weigh over 600 pounds. Giraffes "chew their cud" just like cows.
How did giraffes survive?
Although no fossil trail exists, it is assumed the giraffe developed its remarkable physique and out-survived its relatives, by reaching for the treetops. As taller individuals ate leaves and fruits unavailable to shorter individuals, the giraffe thrived, and became more and more specialized.
Why can't giraffes hear?
The length between lungs and vocal chords could limit production and volume, but new research has also found that giraffes make sounds we simply can't hear because they are too low a frequency. In 2015, it was discovered and documented that giraffes in zoos hummed to eachother.
What are the markings of a giraffe?
Each giraffe’s markings are as individual as human fingerprints. For example, the reticulated giraffe, found only in northern Kenya, has a fark coat with a web of narrow white lines, while the Masai giraffe, also found in Kenya, has a pattern that looks similar to oak leaves.
What is a giraffe's back like?
Giraffes are known for their long, tall appearance. They have a small hump on their back like a camel and have a spotted pattern similar to that of a leopard. Because of the combination of these features, some people called the giraffe a “camel-leopard.”.
How much does a giraffe weigh?
Size and Weight: Giraffes are the tallest land animals. Female giraffes are up to 14 feet tall and weigh up to 1,500 pounds. Meanwhile, males are up to 18 feet tall and can weigh 3,000 pounds. At this height, a giraffe can look into a second-story window. Their neck alone can be 6 feet long, which is taller than the average man ...
How can we help giraffes?
Earthday.org provides a list of ways to help protect giraffes: 1 Educate all people on how and why to protect giraffes 2 Support sustainable agriculture and settlement practices near giraffe habitats 3 Reforest key areas with acacia trees that provide giraffes’ main food source 4 Stop the poaching of giraffes for their tails, considered status symbols 5 Solve hunger in areas like Sudan where impoverished villagers eat giraffe meat 6 Reverse climate change that’s causing rising temperatures and widespread drought in Africa
How long does it take for a giraffe to walk?
Female giraffes give birth standing up, so the young giraffe starts its life by falling more than 5 feet to the ground. About an hour after birth, the calf can already start to stand up and walk. Within a week, it starts to sample vegetation.
How much food does a giraffe eat?
It takes a lot to fuel such a large mammal, and a giraffe may eat up to 75 pounds of food per day . A giraffe will spend most of its day eating. Giraffes only need to drink once every several days because they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat. Acacia trees host their favorite leaves.
What are the horns on a giraffe's head called?
Giraffes have two horns on the top of their head called ossicones. Both males and females have ossicones. Ossicones are covered in skin and fur like the rest of the giraffe’s body. Ossicones start as cartilage and later fuse to the skull as the giraffe ages.
Facts About Baby Giraffes
Baby giraffes are a sight to behold. They’re so cute, cuddly, and playful! Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about baby giraffes.
Facts About Baby Giraffes
Did you know that baby giraffes are called calves? Did you know that, like most mammals, they can walk within minutes of being born? Do you know that baby giraffes are so cute and cuddly they can even be pets? How about this fact: there are only about 140,000 giraffes left in the wild? That’s why it’s so important to learn more about these amazing animals..
Facts About Baby Giraffes
Baby giraffes are born after a fifteen-month gestation period and weigh about 150 pounds. They nurse for up to two years and can grow to 15 feet tall. Giraffes have a social hierarchy which they establish using their necks. They have small brains but excel at pattern recognition due to their size.
Facts About Baby Giraffes
Have you ever seen a baby giraffe in real life? Have you ever seen one in pictures? This post will be about facts about baby giraffes. Giraffes are mammals that are part of the mammal family. They can grow up to 19 feet tall and weigh 4,000 pounds. A baby giraffe is called a calf. A calf cannot walk for the first 6 months of its life.
Are baby giraffes clumsy?
Baby giraffes are born about 1 foot tall and weigh about 150 pounds. They stand up on their own within 15 minutes of being born. Baby giraffes can nurse from their mothers for over a year, which is the longest duration of any mammal nursing. Baby giraffes will remain with their mothers until they reach adulthood.
Are baby giraffes called calves?
Baby giraffes are not called calves. Baby giraffes are called baby giraffes, and they will grow up to be adults.
How Are baby giraffes born?
Baby giraffes are born about 1 foot tall and weigh about 150 pounds. They stand up on their own within 15 minutes of being born. Baby giraffes can nurse from their mothers for over a year, which is the longest duration of any mammal nursing. Baby giraffes will remain with their mothers until they reach adulthood.
Overview
Appearance and anatomy
Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14.1–18.7 ft) tall, with males taller than females. The average weight is 1,192 kg (2,628 lb) for an adult male and 828 kg (1,825 lb) for an adult female. Despite its long neck and legs, its body is relatively short. The skin is mostly gray, or tan, and can reach a thickness of 20 mm (0.79 in). The 80–100 centimetres (31–39 in) long tail ends in a long, dar…
Etymology
The name "giraffe" has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarāfah (زرافة), perhaps borrowed from the animal's Somali name geri. The Arab name is translated as "fast-walker". In early Modern English the spellings jarraf and ziraph were used, probably directly from the Arabic, and in Middle English orafle and gyrfaunt, gerfaunt. The Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe.
Taxonomy
Carl Linnaeus originally classified living giraffes as one species in 1758. He gave it the binomial name Cervus camelopardalis. Morten Thrane Brünnich classified the genus Giraffa in 1762. The species name camelopardalis is from Latin.
The giraffe is one of only two living genera of the family Giraffidae in the order Artiodactyla, the other being the okapi. The family was once much more extens…
Behaviour and ecology
Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and open woodlands. They prefer Acacieae, Commiphora, Combretum and open Terminalia woodlands over denser environments like Brachystegia woodlands. The Angolan giraffe can be found in desert environments. Giraffes browse on the twigs of trees, preferring those of the subfamily Acacieae and the genera Commiphora and Terminalia, which ar…
Relationship with humans
With its lanky build and spotted coat, the giraffe has been a source of fascination throughout human history, and its image is widespread in culture. It has represented flexibility, far-sightedness, femininity, fragility, passivity, grace, beauty and the continent of Africa itself.
Giraffes were depicted in art throughout the African continent, including that o…
See also
• Fauna of Africa
• Giraffe Centre
• Giraffe Manor - hotel in Nairobi with giraffes
External links
• Giraffe Conservation Foundation