Common name: Giraffe
Scientific name: Giraffa camelopardalis
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
At the zoo: Jagar (male, 7y) and Milo (male, 5y); you can find them beside the rhino near the front of the zoo.
Habitat:
Giraffes are native to Africa, typically found in savannah, grasslands and open woodlands.
Diet:
Giraffes feed on acacia tree leaves, shrubs, grass and fruit. Giraffes are ruminants, like cows - when they are not picking fresh leaves off branches, they bring food back from their stomachs, all the way up their necks into their mouths and start chewing again.
Median Life Expectancy:
14 - 20 years
Biology:
Giraffes are known as the ‘watchtowers’ of the savannah, not only because of their height, they have excellent hearing and eyesight as well. They have the longest tail and largest heart of any land animal. Their complex circulatory system has special valves that allow the blood to reach the head and prevents them from fainting when they bend down to take a drink. Giraffes produce audible snorts and grunts, but they also produce a loud infrasonic sound undetectable to our ears. Giraffes have a very unique gait. They move both limbs on one side of their body and then both limbs on the other side. This is why they seem to sway when they run.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that Giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae as humans?! That's 7!
