oreosen.blogg.se - Who are giraffe predators

She has given birth to nine calves and would allow calves of other females to nurse as long as her own calf was also nursing.

Kipele, a female, was born at Denver Zoo.

Their habitat is located just east of the main entrance to the zoo. Collection Connectionĭenver Zoo is home to a small herd of reticulated giraffes. Giraffes have an average lifespan of about 25 years in their natural habitat and a range of 20 to 27 years in human care. Females reach sexual maturity at three to four years old males about a year later. Calves are weaned at twelve to thirteen months and remain with their mothers for a few additional months. Mothers take turns guarding the nursery while others forage nearby, returning to the nursery frequently to nurse their calves. When the calf is a month old, it and its mother join a nursery made up of other mothers and their calves.

Newborns are about six feet (1.8 m) tall and weigh up to 160 pounds (72.6 kg). Females give birth walking or standing up, and calves are able to stand and begin nursing within an hour. Gestation lasts about fifteen months followed usually by the birth of one calf although twin births are possible.

Males sniff a female’s urine to determine whether she is receptive to breeding and guard a receptive female from other males. Males are not territorial but individuals may spar with one another to establish dominance. Herds may consist entirely of females with or without calves, mixed sexes or all males. Reticulated giraffes live in loose, open herds of a few animals up to 40 whose composition frequently changes. Lions, leopards, hyenas, and crocodiles hunt mostly young, old or sick giraffes. Acacias are their preferred food source.Īt the zoo: Denver zoo’s giraffes eat alfalfa hay, grain, and browse, fruits and vegetables for training and enrichment. In their historic range: Reticulated giraffes eat leaves, flowers, seed pods and fruit. Their black prehensile tongues are about 18 inches (46 cm) long.Both males and females have short, fur-covered horns called ossicones on the tops of their heads.Their backs are steeply sloped from front to back their front legs are longer than their back legs.Their six foot (1.8 m) long necks have only seven vertebrae, the same number as humans.Their legs are about six feet (1.8 m) long, longer than the average man is tall.The reticulated giraffe’s coat has a pattern of large polygon-shaped brown spots on a creamy white background, a pattern that is unique to each individual.They can run 35 miles per hour (56 kph) for short distances and can deliver a strong kick to discourage predators.Their spotted coat pattern helps to camouflage them in the dry savanna.Reticulated giraffes have excellent eyesight, allowing them to see movement up to a mile away, and a keen sense of hearing that help them be safe from predators.Their ability to chew their cuds while walking allows them to make efficient use of foraging time.Giraffes are ruminants with four-chambered stomachs that process their fibrous diet.To keep their blood flowing, giraffes need big hearts, two feet (0.6 m) long and weighing about 25 pounds (11kg), and large blood vessels.The tongue allows the giraffe to reach leaves on thorny branches without scratching its face or eyes.Long prehensile tongues and fleshy lips strip leaves from branches.A reticulated giraffe’s height enables it to reach food sources that are out of reach for other animals.