to reach astronomical heights of over 5.5 metres. The name giraffe has its roots in the Arabic and directly translated it means "fast walker" no small feature when you consider the strides one can take with legs that are 1.8 metres long! would have one believe that the giraffe is in fact a camel of sorts. However it does not possess any of the same traits of an actual camel. most certainly its height. It is also a factor that has an impact on the animal's entire life. You see giraffe mothers, because of the unusual shape of their legs and the difficulty of lying down, give birth standing up. This means that little ones are dropped a staggering 2 metres at birth. While we may jest about being dropped as children, giraffes literally are. vegetation around them to camouflage and hide themselves from predators while their mother's continue to forage in the bushveld around them. such a time as they are weaned. Because they are exceptionally social animals, these crèche's are where they learn the subtle art of being a giraffe and where they are taught to forage for themselves. Giraffes are weaned at about 18 months old. 1,600 kg's, its physique is slim and slender and its appearance is characterised by its long legs and neck, and its relatively stocky body. quilt, the giraffe's coat provides it with a camouflage second to none, which also makes it one of the most difficult animals to spot in the African bushveld, a place it calls home. On top of its head, a giraffe also has what are known as ossicones, these look like horns with small tufts of hair on them. These ossicones help with heat regulation and are used by males when in combat. They are also particularly useful in identifying the sex of the animal as the females tend to be long and thin with tufts of long hair at the ends, whereas the male's tend to be thicker and rounder at the ends. general appearance is bigger than their lady counterparts. of their head giraffes have a good range of vision, vision that is processed in colour, which is unusual for animals in the bush. we would like to introduce the african giraffe |