Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
PE-02
Southern subspecies - Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa
Etosha National Park, July 2002
Fuji Velvia, Sigma EX 105/2.8 macro, Minolta 800Si, beanbag
Photo by Pauliina Ehnqvist
General
- The two surviving species of giraffe, the giraffe and the okapi, are
thought to have derived from a common ancestor that lived some 20 million
years ago. The okapi stayed in the rainforest whereas the giraffe went through
a diverging evolutionary path with the
long muscular neck allowing it to browse high-quality
foliage unattainable to other antelopes.
- The enormous
size was also an evolutionary strategy, making the otherwise
defenseless animal too large for predators. For the same reason, they also
grow very fast,
doubling their height during the first year.
Preyed on mainly by lions, hyaenas, leopards, crocodiles and humans, between
half and three-quarters of all giraffes fail to survive their first year,
however. Another cause of death is their preoccupation called necking in
which males test their strength by pounding their necks against each other
with vigorous force, often resulting in broken necks and jaws.
- Their coloration varies greatly from region to region and there are many
subspecies.
- They live in
temporary social units of up to 50 animals.
- They are fast, able to run at 60 kph, hence the Arabic-derived name “fast
walker”.
- They are extremely
cautious animals, especially when approaching waterholes.
From the time one sees their necks in the horizon until the time when they
eventually laboriously bend over to drink, a full hour may have passed.
Habitat and distribution
Savannahs, open woodlands. Formerly they were widespread throughout the drier savannahs of Africa, now unevenly scattered wild populations occur mostly in eastern and southern Africa
Status
They are now only restricted to conservation areas (albeit in northwestern Namibia, there are desert giraffes outside reserves) While they are not threatened as a species, local populations are vulnerable in many localities.
Source: Jonathan Kingdon (2001): The Kingdon field guide to African mammals. London: Academic Press
Click the thumbnails below for more pictures of giraffes
Serengeti
Serengeti
Etosha
Etosha
Etosha
More giraffe pictures from this summer will be added later
