The South African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) Acting As Traffic Warden
The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It has dark, somewhat rounded patches "with some fine projections" on a tawny background colour. The spots extend down the legs and get smaller. The median lump of males is less developed. The name Giraffe Camelopardalis means ‘one who walks quickly, a camel marked like a leopard’. It is classified under the family Giraffidae along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Giraffes usually inhabit savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. Their primary food source is acacia leaves, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. Giraffes are preyed on by lions; their calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas, and wild dogs. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young. The Giraffe’s first experience of life is a two metre drop to the ground, because female giraffes give birth standing up. Baby Giraffes can stand within half an hour and after only 10 hours can actually run alongside their family. Calves grow fast and are weaned at 18 months, although they start eating solids well before then. They only spend between 10 minutes and two hours asleep per day, and have one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal.
Size: 4864px × 3648px
Location: Kariega, South Africa
Photo credit: © John Porter LRPS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: adult, africa, african, animal, bush, camelopardalis, crossing, endangered, giraffa, giraffe, giraffidae, grassland, herbivore, humor, humorous, humour, humourous, kariega, long, mammal, neck, necking, ruminant, safari, savannah, south, southern, standing, tall, tallest, ungulate, veldt, warden, wild, wildlife
