Giraffes p3[1]

By Charles

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. Predators and Prey 3. Food Chain4. Body 1. Legs

2. Necks

3. Horns

5. Behaviors6. Species7. Weight, Height, and Life span8. Reproduction9. Communication

Introduction

Giraffes are the tallest mammal to ever roam the earth and they still are now. Giraffes are herbivores who mostly eat the trees in plains in Africa. They are peaceful creatures who roam the fields all day long escaping from predators or just running around enjoying life. They have been gifts from kings to other kings for hundred years because of their great height and beauty.

Predator and Prey

Giraffes are herbivores which shows they don’t have prey but they do eat plants, most of the time, Giraffes eat the leaves of the tree called the Acacia. This tree has lots of sharp thorns which will cut most animals’ tongues but the Giraffes have long and thick tongues that make it hard to get pierced. The Giraffes only predator

is the African Plain Lion which rarely ever attack a grown Giraffes because of the risk of injury.

Giraffe Food Chain

SUN

Plants, Trees, Fruit

Giraffes

Lions

Body

The body of a Giraffe is very strong and lean so

they could get their food and get away from

predators like a lion or a poacher. The most

unique thing about giraffes that get them noticed are their necks. The long necks

are so strong they could knock a Lion down.

1.Legs

Giraffe legs are powerful limbs, with one blow, it could break a lions cranium or spine. A Giraffes front legs are about 10% longer than the hind legs which allows them to run (gallop) for a longer distance. The toes of a Giraffe are even. Giraffes can gallop up to 60 km an hour because of their powerful legs.

2.Necks

A Giraffe’s neck is very long and lean and believe it or not, they have the same number ofneck bones as a human has. Males use these necks in necking contests to win the female in which they will mate. They also use these long necks to reach the good tasting leaves at the top of trees. The necks also have some chemicals on its fur to give off some sexual attractions to females in the area.

3.Horns

The Giraffe uses its horns to ram fruits of trees sometimes and these horns is mostly for telling apart sex of each Giraffes by Giraffes. Female Giraffes have smaller horns and don’t have a calcium deposit like males. Males have larger horns and there males usually develop calcium deposits as they are older for an unknown Reason.

Behaviors

Lots of males neck and fight each other over

females and this could end up really fatal because of the great powerful kicks that

they give each other can break each others

legs. This would result in Giraffes being not able to

move and getting eaten by predators like Lions.

Reproduction

When a calf is born, it is born alive unlike some other animals that are born in eggs (fish mostly). Within a few hours, the calf that was born could run around and play but for the first 2-3 weeks, calf stay close to their mothers so they don’t get eaten. Pregnancy for a Giraffe is about 400 days, so more than a year. Unfortunately, only 25% to 50% of the calves make it to adulthood.

Species

Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: ArtiodactylaFamily: GiraffidaeGenus: GiraffaSpecies: G.camelopardalis

Weight, Height, and Life SpanA male Giraffe is about 1200 lbs and a

female is about 85o lbs. Giraffes are mostly 14 ft to

17 ft tall but the tallest recording ever was 20 ft. Normally , a Giraffe would live for 20 to 25

years but if it was held captive, it would live to

about 28 years.

Communication

Giraffes communicate by mostly necking but

sometimes with body odor to attract or distract

from other Giraffes. When necking, sometimes

it means a hug but sometimes it is a fight.

Biliography

www.wikipedia.orgwww.google.cawww.ask.comwww.youtube.com (For Videos of

Giraffes)