Giraffes
_____Giraffes are amazing mammals that reside in Africa. They roam the open woodlands and grasslands. Giraffes live in groups, but group members are not permanent. Some giraffes move from group to group. Male giraffes are called bulls and females are called cows. Adult males sometimes challenge each other with either head butting or neck wrestling to see who is more dominant. Serious sfighting among giraffes is rare.
_____The giraffe's coat is very unique because no two are alike. When groups of giraffes gather, the different patterns of their coats camouflage together to trick predators. Their yellow and brown fur looks like an intricate puzzle. Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. Male giraffes can be between 15 and 17 feet while females range between 12 and 15 feet. Male giraffes weigh much more than the females. A male giraffe can weigh between 1,765 and 4,255 pounds. A female's range is between 1,215 and 2,600 pounds. Giraffes have very long tongues (up to 18 inches) that help them to eat. They use these long tongues to grab the leaves and shoots from trees and shrubs. The tongue grasps the leaves and the giraffe then pulls its head away tearing the leaves from the tree. Giraffes are strict herbivores and eat the vegetation that other animals can not reach. Females eat from the lower branches while the males munch on the upper ones.
_____Giraffes do not have a specific mating season. Male giraffes can mate at the age of 3 1/2 years and females when they are 4 to 5 years old. Cows carry their calves for 15 months before they are born. A giraffe is one of the few animals that is born with horns. The two small horns are flat to the baby's head when it is born and pop up about a week later. Baby giraffes are born in a calving ground. This is where all of the moms leave their babies while they go out to feed. It's kind of like a giraffe daycare with no babysitter! The calves look out for one another. A calf is weaned from its mother at 15 months of age. Baby females stay in the same range as their mother, while males leave at about three years old. In the wild, a giraffe's lifespan can be up to 26 years.
_____Giraffes have many interesting features. Their long necks allow them to have the best possible view of their surroundings. They are able to spot their number one predators, lions, from afar. Giraffes have long skinny legs that allow them to gracefully gallop across the grasslands. When giraffes drink, they must spread their front legs apart to be able to lower their heads to the water. They have special blood vessels and valves that prevent the blood from rushing to their heads while their neck is lowered. If this wasn't the case, they would faint every time the lowered their heads! Giraffes are perhaps one of the most fascinating creatures on Earth.