A LITTLE MORE ABOUT GIRAFFES
HABITAT:
Giraffes are native to Africa. But each subspecies inhabits a different area where diverse types of vegetation occur.
FEEDING:
Giraffes feed on leaves, seeds and fruits. The thorny acacia tree is one of their favourites which they have adapted to manage with their thick saliva and long tongue.
To ward off being decimated by giraffes and other antelope, the acacia tree has two defence mechanisms. When animals feed off it regularly, it makes more thorns to prevent herbivores from feeding on too many leaves. In other words, the more browsers feed on the tree, the more thorns the tree will make.
The second defence mechanism is tannin, a toxic chemical the trees produce when antelopes feed on them. As soon as the animals have eaten “enough” leaves, the tree produces tannin, and the leaves get bitter. This causes the animals to move on. But more impressively, the trees communicate with each other. The tannin is transported by the wind to other trees, warning its neighbour to start producing tannin. But giraffes have discovered that if they move upwind, the next tree has not been warned yet and its leaves are still palatable.
REPRODUCTION:
Giraffe reproduction starts with males struggling to earn the right to mate with females when they are in oestrus. Young bulls play-fight, by hitting their heads and necks together. But when they are mature, the fights become more violent as they struggle for dominance. These fights can become quite aggressive with the potential to kill each other. Usually, it is the older, and biggest bulls that are on top of the hierarchy.
The dominant males have access to the available females of the herd. After mating and a gestation period of around 15 months, a six-foot-tall calf is born.
COMMUNICATION:
Giraffes do not have a distinctive sound. Instead they use snorts and grunts. Researchers are still studying the intricacies of giraffe communication.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE:
Giraffes have a social structure that is known as a fission fusion dynamic which is affected by age, sex, home range overlap and kinship. Bulls are often solitary, roaming between female herds in search of mates. Some herds can consist of just adult females and calves, with one female looking after all the young in a group while the others are looking for feed.
To raise awareness for the tallest mammal on Earth, we invite you to join us in celebrating World Giraffe Day on June 21st.