Zebras were found to glean information on predation risk from giraffe body language and spend less time scanning the environment when giraffes are present. Okapis live alone and hide away in tropical rain forests. 1988. To solve this problem, the skin of the lower legs is thick and tight, preventing too much blood from pouring into them. 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. [10], Bohlinia entered China and northern India in response to climate change. [68][69] However, scientists disagree about just how much time giraffes spend feeding at levels beyond the reach of other browsers,[14][56][67][70] In the Sahel, the need for firewood and grazing room for livestock has led to deforestation. [132] In 2019, giraffes were listed under Appendix 2 of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which will now document international trade in giraffe parts, such as hides, bones and meat. Male giraffes assess female fertility by tasting the female's urine to detect oestrus, in a multi-step process known as the flehmen response. [7] The one-metre (3.3-ft) tail ends in a long, dark tuft of hair and is used as a defense against insects. [51] A quarter to a half of giraffe calves reach adulthood. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. [50] Calves are much more vulnerable than adults and are additionally preyed on by leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs. [50]:81, Giraffes continue to have a presence in modern culture. Its long neck gives it a large amount of dead space, in spite of its narrow windpipe. The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. ", "Why sauropods had long necks; and why giraffes have short necks", "The remarkable anatomy of the giraffe's neck", "Feeding-height stratification among African browsing ruminants", "Winning by a Neck: Tall Giraffes Avoid Competing with Shorter Browsers", "Vertical zonation of browse quality in tree canopies exposed to a size-structured guild of African browsing ungulates", "Sex differences in giraffe feeding ecology: energetic and social constraints", "Giraffe Stature and Neck Elongation: Vigilance as an Evolutionary Mechanism", "A monument of inefficiency: the presumed course of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in sauropod dinosaurs", "The structure and function of giraffe jugular vein valves", "Gross anatomy of the intestine in the giraffe (, 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0029(19970915)38:6<571::AID-JEMT3>3.0.CO;2-I, "Movements and group structure of giraffe (, "Proximity to humans affects local social structure in a giraffe metapopulation", "Multilevel social organization and space use in reticulated giraffe (. Giraffes are known for their very long necks, which are typically around 6 feet (1.8 m) long and are thought to have evolved as a result of competition between African browsing herbivores for access to food. reach high branches, above . [42] When stressed, giraffes may chew the bark off branches. [4] The animal's faeces come in the form of small pellets. [90][84], Giraffe groups tend to be sex-segregated[90] although mixed-sex groups made of adult females and young males are known to occur. [2] "Camelopard" is an archaic English name for the giraffe deriving from the Ancient Greek for camel and leopard, referring to its camel-like shape and its leopard-like colouring. As the world’s tallest animal, giraffes can grow as high as 19 feet and weigh up to 2,800 lbs. This advantage is real, as giraffes can and do feed up to 4.5 m (15 ft) high, while even quite large competitors, such as kudu, can feed up to only about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young. [42] The coat pattern has been claimed to serve as camouflage in the light and shade patterns of savannah woodlands. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. As of 2014, two main hypotheses account for the elongation of the necks of giraffes. [7] Males develop calcium deposits that form bumps on their skulls as they age. They are often hosts for ticks, especially in the area around the genitals, which has thinner skin than other areas. The animal's legs are also 6 feet long.Females grow up to 14 feet (4.3 m) tall and weigh up to 1,500 lbs. [42] The upper jaw has a grooved palate and lacks front teeth. Morten Thrane Brünnich classified the genus Giraffa in 1762. [109][110][111], Humans have interacted with giraffes for millennia. [49]:66 Located at both sides of the head, the giraffe's large, bulging eyes give it good all-round vision from its great height. [79] Conversely, the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them. [34] This giraffe has large dark patches that usually have complete margins, but may also have sharp edges. The giraffe, with its long neck, is the tallest living animal. The giraffe is the tallest land mammal alive, its long legs and neck contributing to its impressive stature. A giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! Giraffes have seven cervical vertebrae, but each one can be about 10 inches long. [11] One early giraffid ancestor was Canthumeryx which has been dated variously to have lived 25–20 million years ago (mya), 17–15 mya or 18–14.3 mya and whose deposits have been found in Libya. [97] In one study, up to 94 percent of observed mounting incidents took place between males. [51], Individual captive giraffes were given celebrity status throughout history. [42][50]:40, Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a behaviour known as "necking". [44][45][46] Within a few hours of birth, the calf can run around and is almost indistinguishable from a one-week-old. [37]:329 To lie down, the animal kneels on its front legs and then lowers the rest of its body. The legs of a giraffe are also 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Nature: Giraffes 02:52. [24], Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14.1–18.7 ft) tall, with males taller than females. [90][91] Giraffes are not territorial,[7] but they have home ranges that vary according to rainfall and proximity to human settlements. The tail hairs served as flyswatters, bracelets, necklaces, and thread. [50]:49 They also kept giraffes as pets and shipped them around the Mediterranean. The neck has several important roles and specific functions: Feeding. The radius and ulna of the front legs are articulated by the carpus, which, while structurally equivalent to the human wrist, functions as a knee. The main driver for the evolution of the giraffes is believed to have been the changes from extensive forests to more open habitats, which began 8 mya. [42], Giraffe gestation lasts 400–460 days, after which a single calf is normally born, although twins occur on rare occasions. [115] The Dinka people of the Sudan have traditionally considered the giraffe to be their clan animal and the earthly representative of their deity. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. The Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s. It’s the size of the bones that vary, of course, which is the reason that the giraffe’s neck is much longer than that of any other mammal. [37] Different parts of their bodies were used for different purposes. [55] Along the animal's neck is a mane made of short, erect hairs. [50]:45–47 The Kiffians were responsible for a life-size rock engraving of two giraffes, dated 8,000 years ago, that has been called the "world's largest rock art petroglyph".