Giraffes
The giraffe is the tallest of all land-living animal species. Males can be 4.8 to 5.5 metres tall. Females are generally slight shorter
Giraffes have spots covering their entire bodies, except their underbellies, with each giraffe having a unique pattern of spots. The males have darker spots than the females. They have long necks, which they use to browse the leaves of trees.
They possess seven vertebrae in the neck (the usual number for a mammal). A giraffe's heart, which can weigh up to 10 kg and about 2 feet long, has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for an average large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity. In the upper neck, a complex pressure-regulation system prevents excess blood flow to the brain when the giraffe lowers its head to drink. Conversely, the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure (because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them). In other animals such pressure would force the blood out through the capillary walls; giraffes, however, have a very tight sheath of thick skin over their lower limbs which maintains high extravascular pressure in exactly the same way as a pilot's g-suit
The giraffe is very funny to observe as they will observe you as well for hours and just stare at you. They are very vigilant and nervous as they are the prey of lions.
Giraffes have spots covering their entire bodies, except their underbellies, with each giraffe having a unique pattern of spots. The males have darker spots than the females. They have long necks, which they use to browse the leaves of trees.
They possess seven vertebrae in the neck (the usual number for a mammal). A giraffe's heart, which can weigh up to 10 kg and about 2 feet long, has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for an average large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity. In the upper neck, a complex pressure-regulation system prevents excess blood flow to the brain when the giraffe lowers its head to drink. Conversely, the blood vessels in the lower legs are under great pressure (because of the weight of fluid pressing down on them). In other animals such pressure would force the blood out through the capillary walls; giraffes, however, have a very tight sheath of thick skin over their lower limbs which maintains high extravascular pressure in exactly the same way as a pilot's g-suit
The giraffe is very funny to observe as they will observe you as well for hours and just stare at you. They are very vigilant and nervous as they are the prey of lions. When the giraffe drinks it is bending down and therefore very vulnerable as the lions can sneak in on them from behind and jump on their back.
They defend themselves against threats by kicking with great force. A single well-placed kick of an adult giraffe can shatter a lion's skull or break its spine.
The instinct of some other African animals is to stay close to the giraffe, for the giraffe's high vantage point can see predators from far.
Another dangerous situation for the giraffe is when they are in burned areas. As there a many tree-roots and branches there is a big risk that the giraffe will fall over these when they run trying to save their lives from hunting lions. The lions are aware of their weakness and will try to force the giraffe into areas like this.
posted by umtshibi at
9/23/2006
