First, find out where giraffes live. This is important, since we all understand that the structure of the body depends on the conditions in which it was formed. Scientists have discovered that giraffes came into being more than twenty-five million years ago. Their remains are found almost throughout the territory of Eurasia and Africa. But living giraffes in nature can not be seen everywhere where they grazed at the dawn of history.
Distribution area
Today, giraffes live in Africa. The populations in its eastern part are more numerous. In the southwestern regions, the animal is mostly exterminated, although a few groups are still found in the steppes. The total hunt that giraffes were exposed to led to the fact that they can be seen where they had not previously grazed. So, some sources claim that they can be found west of Lake Tanganyika. This is not an ordinary place for them. In addition, giraffes travel to Chad, Sudan or Zambia. In other territories it is already impossible to meet them. Thus, it turns out that in vivo giraffes live only in Africa.
Giraffe habitat
There are several subspecies of this animal. This division is related to where giraffes live. So, a forest animal is very different from a steppe. And those that grazed in the mountains, in their own way, adapted to the terrain. The fact is that the body structure of this miracle of nature allows him to get food from a great height. Some individuals can reach six meters in height. Since the animal eats only fresh shoots and leaves, it is where there is such vegetation that it lives. A giraffe grabs a part of the plant with its tongue and pinches it. This organ is strongly developed and is comparable in functionality with the trunk of an elephant. Studying where giraffes live, scientists were surprised to find that they do not shy away from the steppe area.
Structural features
Their neck is known to be long. Judging by the appearance, one could assume that its structure is different from other mammals. Only this is not so. The giraffe has seven vertebrae, like all. Therefore, it seems impossible for these animals to eat grass growing under the hooves. However, at a time when there is no fresh growth left on the trees, the giraffe in the savannah enjoys fresh grass. It is not easy for animals to drink or collect food from the ground. They bend their front legs and practically lay on the ground. So you can pinch the grass and drink some water.
How often do these animals drink
Do you study where giraffes live? The question of the need for moisture for the proper implementation of all processes in their organisms is quite natural. It is clear that in Africa, most regions are extremely dry. Giraffes feel great there. They satisfy most of the needs for water due to the moisture that is in food (up to 74%). Therefore, they are often found in arid areas. Animals can do without watering up to several days. They roam the area in small groups (five to six individuals) in search of pasture. I must say that giraffes are not at all defenseless, as one might think.
Sensory organs during danger
Giraffes have very good eyesight, and the neck helps increase visibility. An animal hunter notices at a distance of at least two kilometers. If the danger is approaching, then the animals gather in a large herd. Males, whose weight is significant, make excellent use of hooves in order to drive off predators. From their blow, even a lion can remain not only without lunch, but also without life.
Giraffes also have a sensitive hearing. If some sound seems dangerous, they can take flight. With apparent clumsiness, animals can develop good speed. They run in big leaps (up to five meters). Interestingly, the shorter animals (zebras, okapi) adapted to use long-necked animals as guards. Due to growth, the danger sees the giraffe faster than all. Where this animal lives, there is protection from predators. If “toothy death” appears nearby, then they all run away together.
How to get used to the heat?
All animals of Africa adapt in one way or another to life at high air temperature. Giraffes have their own traditions in this regard. They graze at dawn and in the early morning. When the heat begins, rest in the shade, chewing gum. The skin of light sand color allows you to not overheat under the influence of sunlight.
Animals do not suffer from heat. In addition, they are considered very hardy. Nineteenth-century hunters believed (justifiably) that with a long chase the horse gets tired first. And giraffes continue their graceful run. By the way, all their movements look like in slow motion. All parts of the body of a giraffe are long. He carefully coordinates their movements. Therefore, the step is somehow cosmic: long and multidimensional. When running, the giraffe helps itself with the movement of the neck.
How giraffes sleep
It would seem that an animal with long legs and the same neck is not so easy to adapt to rest. But this is not so. At night, giraffes stack on their belly. They bend their limbs under themselves, try to keep their heads high. But during sleep, the neck can bend, then the back of the head rests on the back of the animal. Often giraffes jump to their feet to check the “level of security”. This is quite reasonable, since predators hunt at night. Often the victims are babies. The older generation protects them in the first year of life. Interestingly, giraffes can collect young animals from different families into groups, forming a kind of nursery.
So it’s easier to look after them.
