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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Giraffe
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its species name refers to its camel-like appearance and the patches of color on its fur. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones and its distinctive coat patterns. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. There are nine subspecies, which are distinguished by their coat patterns.
The giraffe's scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. Their primary food source is acacia leaves, which they can browse at heights that most other herbivores cannot reach. Giraffes are preyed on by lions, and calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs. Adult giraffes do not have strong social bonds, though they do gather in loose aggregations if they happen to be moving in the same general direction. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, who bear the sole responsibility for raising the young.
The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Least Concern, but has been extirpated from many parts of its former range, and some subspecies are classified as Endangered. Nevertheless, giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves.
Range map of the giraffe divided by subspecies.
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Etymology
The name giraffe has its earliest known origins in the Arabic word zarafa, perhaps from some African language. The name is translated as "fast-walker". There were several Middle English spellings such as jarraf, ziraph, and gerfauntz. It is also possible that the word was derived from the animal's Somali name Geri. The Italian form giraffa arose in the 1590s. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French girafe. The species name camelopardalis is a Latin word.
Kameelperd is also the name for the species in Afrikaans. Other African names for the giraffe include Ekorii (Ateso), Kanyiet (Elgon), Nduida (Gikuyu), Tiga (Kalenjin and Luo), Ndwiya (Kamba), Nudululu (Kihehe), Ntegha (Kinyaturu), Ondere (Lugbara), Etiika (Luhya), Kuri (Ma'di), Oloodo-kirragata or Olchangito-oodo (Maasai), Lenywa (Meru), Hori (Pare), Lment (Samburu) and Twiga (Swahili and others) in the east, and Tutwa (Lozi), Nthutlwa (Shangaan), Indlulamitsi (Siswati), Thutlwa (Sotho), Thuda (Venda) and Ndlulamithi (Zulu) in the south.
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The text and map.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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