O. Artiodactyla

F. Giraffidae

Habitat: Savannah

Reproduction: Viviparous

Diet: Herbivorous

Social life: Gregarious

weight

gestation

number of young

Though the giraffe is one of the largest animals on earth, it has an agile and slender appearance thanks to its extremely long extremities and neck, which can project the head up to a height of 6 metres. Its extravagant silhouette gives it many advantages, such as being able to eat the highest vegetation on the trees and having a privileged view. The variations in the reticulated pattern on its skin allow the species to be divided into several subspecies.

Giraffes are ruminant herbivores that feed mainly on leaves and shoots of the highest parts of trees, where they have no competition. Their long, flexible tongue helps them to pull off branches and leaves without injuring themselves on the sharp thorns of the acacia trees.

They tend to form unstable groups of approximately a dozen animals, though it is not unusual for the adult males to separate and walk alone. The males often fight, hitting each other in the neck, which is interpreted as a ritual to maintain the hierarchy among the individuals.

Giraffes previously covered a large part of Africa, but the progressive desertisation of their habitat and overhunting have greatly restricted their area of distribution, and there are now large populations only in the national parks.