Giraffe

Giraffe Description

• The giraffe is the tallest of the world’s terrestrial animal. It is also the largest ruminant animal.
• Four out of seven species are living today.
• Giraffes have acute hearing and smelling sense.
• They can recognize color.
• Giraffes can only walk or gallop.
• They sleep 4 – 5 hours a day.
• While they cannot swim properly giraffes can float in water.
• Giraffe consumes 34 kg of foliage daily.
• They fight with necks. Giraffe’s fight is called ‘necking’.

Size & Weight

Adults

• HEIGHT: 4.3–5.7 m (14.1–18.7 ft)
• WEIGHT: (Male) 1,192 kg (2,628 lb) (Female) 828 kg (1,825 lb)
• TONGUE: 45 cm (18 in)
• NECK: 2–2.4 m (6.6–7.9 ft)
• TAIL: 3.3 feet

Newborns

• HEIGHT: 7–2 m (5.6–6.6 ft)

Largest Specimen

• HEIGHT: (Male) 88 m (19.3 ft) (Female) 5.17 m (17.0 ft)
• WEIGHT: (Male) 1,930 kg (4,250 lb) (Female) 1,180 kg (2,600 lb)

Giraffe’s Heart

• LENGTH: 60 cm (2 ft)
• WEIGHT: 11 kg (25 lb)
• BEATS PER MINUTE: 150 bpm

Habitat

Savannahs, woodlands, Terminalia woodlands, Acacieae, Combretum

Range

North and South Africa

Diet

Twigs of trees, shrubs, fruit, barks, grass,

Reproduction

1 calf

Mating Period

Wet season

Gestation Period

400–460 days

Weaning Period

30 – 365 days

Sexual Maturity

• 4 – 5 years (Male)
• 4 years (Female)

Population

• 97,500 (wild)
• 1,144 (captivity)

Lifespan

25 years

Average Speed

50 km/h (31 mph)

Maximum Speed

60 km/h (37 mph)

Calls

Snorts, mooing, mewing, bleats

Group Size

44 individuals

Group Name

Herd

Baby Name

• Bull or sire (Male)
• Cow (Female)

Predators

Leopards, wild dogs, Nile crocodile, spotted hyenas

Behavior

Non-territorial

Conservation Status

Vulnerable