The giraffe is an African ruminant cloven-hoofed animal whose Latin name means "camel with leopard print". They are the tallest living terrestrial animals in the world. When standing, it can reach 5 meters from head to toe and weigh about 700 kilograms. The patterns on the giraffe's fur are spotted and reticulated, with a broad forehead, a pointed snout, and large erect ears. Giraffes have particularly long necks, tall and strong limbs, slightly longer forelimbs than hind limbs, short tails, and usually feed on leaves and have a long tongue.
It lives in the African savannah and is a herbivore, feeding mainly on leaves and twigs. Giraffes have a lifespan of around 27 years in the wild, and more than 29 years in zoos. Mainly distributed in Africa, South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia and other countries. Giraffes are the national animal of South Africa.
The teeth of giraffes are primitive low-crowned teeth, and they cannot eat grass as their main food, but can only eat leaves as their main food. It has a pair of large brown eyes with protruding eyeballs, which can rotate around and have a wide field of vision, and the giraffe's tall body makes it like a living watchtower and can see movement in the distance.
Giraffes feed on the twigs and leaves of trees, preferring the genus Terminalia. These plants provide the necessary calcium and protein sources for their growth; they also sometimes feed on shrubs, grasses, and fruits. An adult giraffe needs to eat about 34 kg of branches and leaves a day
Giraffes have long legs and can run very fast, which is trained in the competition for survival. When it runs, it has a very special posture. It first stretches its head and neck forward, and then suddenly retracts it, swinging alternately. Giraffes walk in a different way from other beasts, they move like jumping.
Giraffes rarely sleep. Because of their size, we think they need a lot of sleep to get a good rest, but that's not the case. They only need very little rest time. It takes 2 to 3 hours a day, and 5 to 7 minutes of sleep each time is enough. In the wild, they can even stand up to sleep so they can escape in case of danger. If they are lying on the ground, their long necks form an arch.
Giraffes have a gentle temperament and are modest and elegant among groups. They accompany each other warmly, get close to each other, and take care of each other. Their long legs often touch each other, which usually lasts a long time, but they never quarrel or fight over such trifles. This approach to each other is both out of a tenderness and for safety.
People rarely see giraffes making sounds, some people think giraffes are dumb, and some people even say that giraffes have no vocal cords. But it's actually because the sounds made by giraffes are not within the range that we humans can hear. Giraffes are often very close to each other, and they communicate gently and carefully. Their actions are so easy-going, affectionate, and natural, that they are fully worthy of their beautiful appearance.
