Giraffes

Standing at 18ft tall or more, the giraffe is the world’s tallest land animal. Under the species name, Giraffa Camelopardalis, there are a total of 6 subspecies that are identified by their different coat patterns. Since the giraffe’s spots are similar to the leaves of a tree, they can easily camouflage themselves to hide from predators. Both the male and female giraffe have a spotted coat, but vary between small, medium, and large patches. The giraffe’s neck ranges from 6 to 7ft in length, which is thought to have come from natural selection, or adaptation. Though containing the same amount of bones in its neck as an average human, “the main difference is giraffe’s bones are much longer” (TNVRSTAR). A giraffe’s tongue is pretty long also; it is about 21 inches and an interesting fact is that their tongues are a blue-black color to keep it from becoming sunburned. Because giraffe’s tongues are really long, they’re also able to clean their ears with them. “Giraffes live in open habitats, such as savannas and grasslands because of their height and natural diet” (Morgaine Michaels). Giraffes can eat up to 77 pounds of food daily excluding meat. Giraffes mainly eat leaves, flowers, fruits, and sometimes even soil when the ground is salty or filled with minerals. A giraffe can go days without water, even longer than camels. This

actually protects themselves from water dependent predators such as crocodiles because when giraffes drink from water holes, they have to spread out their legs in an awkward split-like position which makes them even more vulnerable. Besides the crocodile, another predator of the giraffe is the lion. “They defend themselves against predators by kicking with their feet. Their large and heavy hooves can break the back of a lion”