Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) are hoofed mammals with long legs and a long neck. Their skin is a patchwork of dark chestnut spots separated by thin cream colored lines. Their coloration varies slightly, with various subspecies having less disinct spots or spots that can vary from a yellowish color to black.
Giraffes are well adapted to graze leaves and fruit from the branches of trees. Their elongated tounge and long neck enable them to extend up to 18 feet when reaching upward among vegetation. Specialized teeth help them to efficiently strip leaves from a branch.
Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order Artiodactyla
- Family Giraffidae
- Genus Giraffa
- Species Giraffa camelopardalis
Habitat: Africa. Woodland savannas.
Diet: Vegetarian. Leaves, fruit, especially acacia leaves and wild apricot.
Status: Lower risk. Conservation dependent. If current conservation efforts for giraffe protection were to cease, the species would likely become threatened within a period of five years.
References:
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- Burnie, D. and D.E. Wilson. Animal. Dorling Kindersley. London. 2001.
- Giraffa camelopardalis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology's Animal Diversity Web.
