Animal
Rothschild’s giraffe
Acacia leaves, a long neck and pale lower legs distinguish this savanna animal.
Langue du contenu
Rothschild’s giraffe reaches food that remains high above the heads of many other herbivores. On savannas and in acacia scrub it mainly eats acacia leaves. Its blue-purple tongue, measuring 45-50 centimetres, helps it gather them. The tongue is covered with papillae, a structure that helps it take leaves even from thorny branches. Giraffes are active during the day, so their search for plant food takes place in daylight.
The most striking part of the body, the long neck, contains seven cervical vertebrae, the same number as in most mammals. The difference lies in the size of each bone, which can be around 30 centimetres long. Every giraffe has its own pattern of patches. In Rothschild’s giraffes, the lower legs below the knees are white and unspotted. This detail helps identify their characteristic colouring.
Adults can weigh 800-1,300 kilograms. Pregnancy lasts about fifteen months, and life expectancy is 20-30 years. Alongside the impressive outline, the long development of a calf reveals a less visible part of giraffe life.
Pour les enfants
A giraffe’s long neck is not made of countless tiny bones. It has seven neck vertebrae, just like most mammals. In a giraffe, those bones are simply very long. One can measure about 30 centimetres!
On the savanna, giraffes mainly eat acacia leaves. They gather them with a blue-purple tongue that can be 45-50 centimetres long. Little bumps on its surface help collect leaves from thorny twigs. Giraffes look for food during the day.
Look at the coat: every giraffe has a different pattern of patches. A Rothschild’s giraffe has white lower legs without spots. An adult weighs hundreds of kilograms, between 800 and 1,300. A mother carries her calf for about fifteen months before it is born.
Question 1 sur 2
How many neck vertebrae does a giraffe have?
- Emplacement
- Rothschild’s giraffe