
Giraffes also have color vision, enabling them to recognize each other. In comparison with other animals such as deer and cattle, the giraffe has proportionally larger eyes, with which it can locate food and distant predators from its great height. The tail has a black terminal tuft and is used to swat flies away. Along the animal's neck is a brown mane made of short, stiff hairs.
#Giraffe predators information full
The giraffe's fur may serve as a chemical defence, as it is full of antibiotics and parasite repellents that give the animal a characteristic scent. They may also serve as thermal windows, being the site of large blood vessels and sweat glands. The patches may serve as camouflage, since they mimic the dappled combination of light and shade in savanna woodlands. The coat is made up of brown blotches or patches separated by lighter hair.Įach giraffe has a unique coat pattern. The average weight is 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb) for an adult male and 830 kilograms (1,830 lb) for an adult female. Giraffe skeleton on display by The Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, OklahomaĪ fully grown giraffe is typically 5–6 meters (16–20 ft) tall, with males taller than females. Giraffes live around 25 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity. Young giraffes become mature when they are 4 years old, and they are fully grown when they are 6 years old. The calf stays with its mother for 1½ years. Giraffe calves are already 2 m tall and weigh 50-55 kg. Giraffes give birth while standing, so the baby falls down 2 metres. When the female is close to giving birth, it leaves the group for a time to give birth to its offspring, and comes back 2-3 weeks after her baby is born.Īfter a pregnancy of 14-15 months, the female gives birth to usually a single baby (which is called "calf").

Young male giraffes form small groups until they become mature. Giraffes eat leaves from tall trees and sometimes fruit, which they can reach because of their long legs and long necks.

They do not live in thick forests where it is difficult to see predators, such as lions, approaching. They live on the savannah, which is the African grassland, or in light woodland. The tallest recorded male was 5.88 m (19.3 ft) and the tallest recorded female was 5.17 m (17.0 ft) tall. Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3–5.7 m (14.1–18.7 ft) tall, with males taller than females. Giraffes and Okapi are the family Giraffidae. A giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) is a mammal which lives in Africa.
