The giraffe is an African mammal. Giraffes are well known for their long necks, long legs and spotted patterns. No two giraffes have the same pattern of spots. Male giraffes are larger than females. Both male and female giraffes have small ”horns” or knobs on top of their heads. These knobs are used to protect the head in fights.
Giraffes live in the Savannas of Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, grasslands and open woodlands. Their long necks help giraffes to eat leaves from tall trees, typically the thorny leaves of the acacia tree. This is their favorite meal. They also browse on the twigs of trees and other vegetable food. A giraffe can eat 63 kg of leaves and twigs daily. Giraffes drink large quantities of water but if they need to, they can go for several days without water. They get most of the water from the plants they eat.
A giraffe cleans off any bugs that appear on its face with its extremely long tongue. The giraffe usually sleeps standing up, because it can take too long for a giraffe to get back up on its feet if a predator should approach.
The only natural predators of the giraffe are lions, hyenas and wild dogs. Young giraffes are very vulnerable and cannot defend themselves. But otherwise the giraffes’ height (almost 19 feet) and excellent vision gives them a wide view of the grasslands, where they live, making it easy for them to spot predators from a distance.
Exercise:- Answer the following questions:
- Where are giraffes found?
- Do all giraffes have the same pattern of spots?
- What do giraffes eat?
- How much can a giraffe eat everyday?
- From where do giraffes get most of the water?
- How does a giraffe clean its face?
- How does a giraffe sleep and why?
- Name some natural predators of the giraffe?
- What helps giraffes spot predators from a distance?
- Give the meaning of – protect, roam, favorite, predator, defend, vulnerable