Giraffe

Description:

Giraffe's necks vary in length. Since the Giraffes with longer necks find it easier to get food, the short neck ones don't survive as well, making Giraffes with long necks more common place. Giraffes also differ in weight and size naturally, and of course, no two Giraffes have the exact same spots. Since these animals are native of Africa, and run wild in the tall grasses and open planes, they would live alongside any other animals that share the same resources as them, such as rhinoceroses, and elephants, or even other populations or herds of giraffes. The type of relationship that giraffes have with tick birds or ox peckers is mutualism. The bird eats all the ticks and mites that get on the giraffe, preventing it from getting sick and the birds get fed. Both benefit. Giraffes were designed to live in the plains or woodlands of Africa because of its long neck for eating high up trees and its need to have space to maneuver. Giraffes are also extremely fast and the plains give them space to run. Giraffes use sexual reproduction. Males take part in establishing social hierarchies by "necking" (using their neck as weapons.) The males that win gain access to the females, which are the sole caretaker of their offspring. Older males mate with fertile females, and they assess their fertility by tasting the female's urine to detect oestrus. Giraffes reproduction is polygamous which means they have more than one breeding partners.

Habitat:

Giraffes live in grasslands, open woodlands and savannas. They feed on twigs, shrubs, grass, and fruit. (around 74 lbs of daily) And although they are herbivores, they are known to lick the meat and bones of carcasses. Giraffes drink water every three days. Giraffes leave a huge affect on the trees they feed on, often delaying the growth of young trees and giving "waistlines" to very tall trees. Lions are predators of giraffes, and calves and sub-adults are particularly vulnerable and can be taken by crocodiles, hyenas, wild dogs, and leopards.

Notes:

Fun Fact: The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its species name refers to its camel-like shape and its leopard-like colouring. (Giraffa camelopardalis) ***This photo was taken at the African Lion Safari situated in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, about 100 kilometers west of Toronto.***