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    North American Animals     African Animals

Reticulated Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata



Family:

Bovidae, the cow and goat family

Conservation Status:

Conservation Dependent, IUCN

Range:

East Africa

Habitat:

Semiarid plains, savannas and woodland areas.

Giraffes are tan with white markings and their long eyelashes and closeable nostrils protect against blowing sand.  Their long necks allow them to reach food high up in the trees and their tongues can be up to 18" long, which helps to grasp leaves, while their upper lip acts like a finger to pull on branches.  They eat shoots, leaves, fruits, bark and seedpods, but their favorite is the acacia tree, which contains almost all of the nutrients they need, except salt and calcium, and can contain up to 74% water.  They can consume up to 75 lbs of food in 24 hours and can go a long time without drinking water when eating acacia leaves.  To drink, giraffes must splay their legs or kneel.

Lions, leopards, African wild dog, cheetahs, hyenas and crocodiles can kill young or weak giraffes and the survival rate of young is low.

Male ranges are fairly stable, but female ranges less so, though they usually return to the same calving areas each year.  A female can bear her first calf at 5 years of age.  Gestation is approximately 15 months and only one calf is born which will be nursed for 9-10 months.