Giraffes--General Discussion and Facts

[Edme1]

Hey guys! I was volunteering at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo a few days ago, and I was put at the giraffe wonder wagon. As it turns out, giraffes are pretty cool! They have the same number of vertebrae in their necks as we do (7) but theirs are huge! Their tail hair feels like wire, and their tongues can grow to get 20 inches long! And they're cute. ^^ Also, their feet are about four times the size of cows' feet! Amazing, huh?

[WolvesOfTheSeas]

How interesting topic, i love giraffes there my favorite african animals and that was kinda interesting. Thanks for sharing Edme.

[Edme1]

Welcome. I also found a few more facts--

Giraffes can eat up to 75 pounds of food a day!
Their tails can be up to 8 feet long
They have no tear ducts
Mother giraffes will form a sort of daycare for their babies. One will stay with the young ones and watch over them while the rest get food.
Giraffes are born with their horns.

Sources: http://terranaturals.com/giraffe-facts-a-23.html

[WolvesOfTheSeas]

• How interesting in science we learn about Giraffes eating 15 pounds of food. Weird she probable put something wrong. And i never knew that Very interesting and quite shocking

[Edme1]

Yes, definitely. Sometimes, giraffes can get a bad wrap. They're cool animals!

[WolvesOfTheSeas]

May i add a fact...? Did you know Giraffes can fight with there long neck but it doesnt hurt them because there neck have some protection.

[Edme1]

I didn't know that, WolvesOfTheSeas! Thanks for sharing that!

[WolvesOfTheSeas]

I didn't know that, WolvesOfTheSeas! Thanks for sharing that! :D

Your Welcome Edme^^. Think it interesting? What to found more details? Go the to this website. About Giraffes fighting http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/un ... fights.htm - where you see two Giraffes that the video^^

[Edme1]

Wow! That's interesting. I never knew they did that. Thanks for sharing!

[WolvesOfTheSeas]

Your Welcome Edme glad i can share^^

[wolf567]

Giraffe are fantastic animals. At work we currently have 8 giraffe. Of which two were born this year, one on 26th July and the latest born on 1st December!

Has everyone seen the latest news from IUCN regarding giraffe? The wild population has suffered a 40% decline over the last 30 years!

Giraffe
The iconic giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), one of the world's most recognisable animals and the tallest land mammal, is now threatened with extinction. The species, which is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated subpopulations in west and central Africa, has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable due to a dramatic 36-40% decline from approximately 151,702-163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 in 2015.

The growing human population is having a negative impact on many giraffe subpopulations. Illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest are all pushing the species towards extinction. Of the nine subspecies of giraffe, three have increasing populations, whilst five have decreasing populations and one is stable.

A resolution adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September this year called for action to reverse the decline of the giraffe.

Full Story: http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/new-bir ... n-red-list

[Uzumaaki]

Giraffe are fantastic animals. At work we currently have 8 giraffe. Of which two were born this year, one on 26th July and the latest born on 1st December!

Has everyone seen the latest news from IUCN regarding giraffe? The wild population has suffered a 40% decline over the last 30 years!

Giraffe
The iconic giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), one of the world's most recognisable animals and the tallest land mammal, is now threatened with extinction. The species, which is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated subpopulations in west and central Africa, has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable due to a dramatic 36-40% decline from approximately 151,702-163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 in 2015.

The growing human population is having a negative impact on many giraffe subpopulations. Illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest are all pushing the species towards extinction. Of the nine subspecies of giraffe, three have increasing populations, whilst five have decreasing populations and one is stable.

A resolution adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September this year called for action to reverse the decline of the giraffe.

Full Story: http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/new-bir ... n-red-list

wow, i didn't know that. that's very sad.

[valkea]

Has everyone seen the latest news from IUCN regarding giraffe? The wild population has suffered a 40% decline over the last 30 years! :(

Giraffe
The iconic giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), one of the world's most recognisable animals and the tallest land mammal, is now threatened with extinction. The species, which is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated subpopulations in west and central Africa, has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable due to a dramatic 36-40% decline from approximately 151,702-163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 in 2015.

The growing human population is having a negative impact on many giraffe subpopulations. Illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest are all pushing the species towards extinction. Of the nine subspecies of giraffe, three have increasing populations, whilst five have decreasing populations and one is stable.

A resolution adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in September this year called for action to reverse the decline of the giraffe.

Full Story: http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/new-bir ... n-red-list

I hadn't heard that, that's awful to hear. Hopefully the problem can be reversed or at least stopped. I feel that their status as well-known and liked animals might help them with that as people will make a bigger deal out of it than they would for some other animals, but I guess we'll just have to see.