Reticulated Giraffe

Range:
The Reticulated Giraffe are found in northeast Kenya and is interspersed in central and southern Africa.

Habitat:
This Giraffe species is found in the arid zones and drier regions of northern and southern Savanna, wherever trees grow. They are also found in semiarid plains, savannas, and woodland areas.

Size:
Male: Height: up to 18 ft; Weight: up to 4250 lbs (with an average weight of 2500 lbs)
Female: Height: up to 15 ft; Weight: up to 2600 lbs (with an average weight of about 1600 lbs)

Young:
Giraffe’s can only have one calf at a time.

Gestation:
14 to 14 ½ months or 453-464 days

Diet (wild):
Browser: mainly Acacia species of trees, but they do consume about 100 different trees. Giraffes are the ultimate browsers, competing only with the elephant for food.

Diet (zoo):
They are fed browse (branches from trees), Timothy and alfalfa hay, carrots, herbivore pellets.

Life span (wild):
25 years.

Life span (captivity):
Up to 28 years.

Status:
Common. The wild population is stable but slowly declining. There are approximately 27, 680 giraffes.

Threats:
Hunted for their meat.

Anatomy/Physiology:
The giraffe has only 7 vertebrae in their long neck, which happens to be the same as humans. Each adult giraffe vertebrae are approximately 11 inches long. Special valves in the neck arteries help control the blood flow and heart pressure when the animal raises and lowers its head. The blood control prevents the animal from passing out by maintaining a somewhat constant amount of blood to the brain. The prehensile lips and long, flexible tongue helps the giraffe to obtain food by plucking the leaves off of thorny branches. As a ruminant, the giraffe may swallow a great deal of leaves to store in one of 3 stomach compartments, to be regurgitated and chewed for later digestion. This allows the giraffe to watch for danger while chewing its cud.  Their coat has a net-like pattern.  They have acute peripheral vision.  They have a great sense of smell, and hearing as well. Their height provides an increased range of vision.

Social/Family units:
Giraffes are social animals with herds of up to 50 individuals, but more commonly 12-15. This allows for better protection of young from predators.

Habits:
Browsing among tall trees. Giraffes avoid drinking for long periods of time and often stand when sleeping because it is very difficult to rise from kneeling position and standing with their heads down makes them vulnerable.  Giraffes are the ultimate browsers, competing only with the elephant for food. 

Communication:
Normally silent. Some vocalizations are “bleat or moo” from calves and “snorts, moans, snore, hiss, bellows or coughs” are from the adults.

Defensive/Aggressive behavior:
Vulnerable to predators when lying down. When cornered, it can inflict a destructive blow, kicking with the front legs.

Predators:
Lions, hyenas, and man

Locomotion:
Ambling walk or gallop. May run up to 35 mph.

Activity:
They mostly feed during cooler hours in the a.m. and p.m.

Any interesting story/fact:
A Giraffes face grows calcium deposits, changing their appearance constantly.  The females will give birth standing up so the first thing a baby giraffe knows is a 6 ft fall to the ground.