GIRAFFE

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Like human fingerprints, the markings of a giraffe's coat are unique to each individual. When groups are gathered, the patterns act as disruptive camouflage, confusing potential predators. The giraffe's sharp vision and towering height help it to anticipate attack from predators.

HABITS

Giraffes are sociable by nature. They live in groups but do not form permanent herds. Bulls (adult males) have an identifiable pecking order, which is established through the ritual of neck wrestling. A strange bull entering an area will be challenged by the dominant male. They will proceed to butt heads (their skulls are particularly strong) until one of them retreats.

BREEDING

When a giraffe cow (or female) is ready to mate, she attracts all the mature bulls in the area. The dominant bull wins her by driving off all the other males.

As the calf grows older, it begins to roam with its mother. Its main predator is the lion. After calves are a year old, their mortality rate drops  below 10 percent. 

While the mother will mate 5 months after giving birth, her calf is not weaned until it is 15 months old. Young females stay in their mothers' home ranges, but young males wander away at about 3 years old.

FOOD & HUNTING

The giraffe browses for its food, which consists of the leaves and shoots of  trees and shrubs.

Thorny acacia trees pose little problem for the giraffe; the giraffe picks off individual shoots and bunches of leaves from between the thorns with its tongue, which can be up to 18 inches long. Plants without thorns are stripped of their leaves as the giraffe pulls the whole length of smaller branches through its teeth.

The male and female feed from different part of a tree. The female forages among the lower branches while the male feeds from the higher braches. This behavior ensures that the sexes do not have to compete for the same food within their range.

KEY FACTS 

        Size 

              Height including horns: Male, 15-17 feet. Female 12-15 feet.

              Weight: Males, 1,765-4,255 lb. Female, 1,215-2,600 lb.

       Breeding

             Sexual maturity: Males, 31/2 years.  Female, 4-5 years.

             Mating: Anytime. 

             Gestation: 453-465 days. 

             Number of young:  Usually one calf.

       Lifestyle

            Habit: Loosely bound groups. 

            Diet: Leaves from trees, shrubs, climbers, vines, and some herbs. 

            Lifespan: 25 years in the wild.