World Giraffe Day celebrates the conservation and awareness of all nine subspecies of giraffe on June 21.
Giraffes are the largest land mammals in the world. They are also one of the most graceful of all animals considering their large size. To watch a giraffe gallop gives the appearance of running in slow motion, even though they can average almost 40 miles per hour.
Giraffes are the largest land mammals in the world. They are also one of the most graceful of all animals considering their large size. To watch a giraffe gallop gives the appearance of running in slow motion, even though they can average almost 40 miles per hour.
Subspecies of Giraffes
Giraffes live primarily in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. The Masai Giraffe lives in Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, while the Reticulated Giraffe lives in Northeastern Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia Their habitat is dry savannahs, open woodlands, and locations with acacia trees. Below is a map of the locations where giraffes live in Africa.
According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (last accessed March 28, 2013), the reticulated giraffe is the giraffe subspecies with the greatest population decline—about 80% from 28,000 to 4,700—in the past decade. Numbers have decreased due to many threats, including poaching (excessive illegal hunting), disease, degradation and loss of habitat, war and civil unrest, and the competition for resources from humans and their livestock.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation is launching a targeted fundraising campaign for World Giraffe Day 2015: Operation Twiga has a funding target of $100,000 in order to help save the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe which has a population of only about 1000 in the wild. You can support this important, innovative and unique giraffe conservation intervention by helping them to raise much-needed funds. Go to this link for more information. http://giraffeconservation.org/
Giraffe Conservation Foundation is launching a targeted fundraising campaign for World Giraffe Day 2015: Operation Twiga has a funding target of $100,000 in order to help save the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe which has a population of only about 1000 in the wild. You can support this important, innovative and unique giraffe conservation intervention by helping them to raise much-needed funds. Go to this link for more information. http://giraffeconservation.org/
"An apology is necessary after my visit to the Cleveland Zoo: I'm sorry I got lipstick on your giraffe." -Betty White
Did you know:
Giraffes are the tallest mammal in the world. They can grow up to 17 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds.
They have a long black tongue (18-20 inches) for reaching between long thorns to feed on tender tree leaves and twigs.
Giraffes can spend 16 to 20 hours a day browsing on leaves, twigs, bark, flowers, and fruit.
A male giraffe is called a bull, female is a cow, and baby is a calf.
The coat pattern on a giraffe not only serves as camouflage but also as "thermal windows": sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat glands. Each giraffe has his own unique coat pattern making it easier to tell them apart which is similar to identifying humans by their finger prints.
Giraffes have only seven vertebrae in the neck which is the same number as humans.
Giraffes can run in a gallop, with their average speed around 37 miles per hour.
Giraffes sleep for 5 minutes at a time and usually in a standing position.
Giraffes are the tallest mammal in the world. They can grow up to 17 feet tall and weigh 2,700 pounds.
They have a long black tongue (18-20 inches) for reaching between long thorns to feed on tender tree leaves and twigs.
Giraffes can spend 16 to 20 hours a day browsing on leaves, twigs, bark, flowers, and fruit.
A male giraffe is called a bull, female is a cow, and baby is a calf.
The coat pattern on a giraffe not only serves as camouflage but also as "thermal windows": sites for complex blood vessel systems and large sweat glands. Each giraffe has his own unique coat pattern making it easier to tell them apart which is similar to identifying humans by their finger prints.
Giraffes have only seven vertebrae in the neck which is the same number as humans.
Giraffes can run in a gallop, with their average speed around 37 miles per hour.
Giraffes sleep for 5 minutes at a time and usually in a standing position.