Giraffes are easily recognizable, by their long neck and long legs with orange or brown spotted shapes on a white or tan coat. They are the tallest living animals on land. Other characteristics of a giraffe are they have a long tail, long tongue, two small horns known as ossicones, and a pair of small ears. An adult male giraffe can reach a height of 5.5 meters. Males are bigger and taller than females. A female giraffe is about 4.3 meters tall. The giraffe’s neck and legs can be up to six feet long. The height of a giraffe helps them to reach food high up in the trees and also to keep a watch out for predators like hyenas, lions, and African wild dogs. Male giraffes are called bulls, the female giraffe is called a cow and the baby giraffe is called a calf. The scientific name for a giraffe is Giraffa camelopardalis. a group of giraffes is called a tower. Spots on the giraffes look similar but no two giraffes have exactly the same matching spots, a bit like human fingerprints
Giraffes are found in the savannas and open woodlands of Africa. They are herbivores, they will only eat plant-based food like leaves, flowers, fruits amongst other vegetations. when a giraffe needs to drink water, it has to bend or spread the front legs to lower itself as the neck of a giraffe is too short to get to the water on the ground. Giraffes don’t need to drink water all the time as they get most of their water from their food, they only drink water at intervals of few days.
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Giraffes
like sheep, cows, and deer. Giraffes have four stomachs, they are ruminants, in that they have more than one stomach. Digestion occurs in the four-chambered stomach the extra stomachs are all helping in digesting the food.
Giraffes babies can stand up soon after birth, the mother gives birth whilst standing up. They also sleep standing up, they are known to only sleep five to thirty minutes in a day, they do this by having quick naps that last for a minute to a few minutes at any one time.
In the wild Giraffes are becoming threatened animals, as their natural habitat gets smaller by human encroachment.
