Zviera
Nubian giraffe
Height, a patterned coat and a food-grasping tongue reveal a specialist leaf eater.
Jazyk obsahu
A Nubian giraffe reaches food beyond the height accessible to many other plant eaters. An adult male can stand six metres tall, while females are smaller. This subspecies of the northern giraffe inhabits savannas, scrub and woodland in east-central Africa. In the wild it lives alone or in small groups, often feeding in the morning and evening. It may be seen alongside zebras, antelopes and ostriches.
A long, purple-blue tongue helps it gather food. Its diet includes acacia leaves and young shoots, as well as flowers and fruit. The long neck and mobile tongue work together: one provides reach, while the other grasps the plant. Darker patches with pale edges form a distinct pattern against the lighter coat.
The space between trees is part of its home too. Converting natural land into fields and buildings breaks habitats apart and makes populations harder to sustain. Poaching and drought are further threats, with drought particularly dangerous for youngsters. Protecting giraffes therefore means keeping landscapes with suitable food plants, rather than preserving only the individual tree where an animal happens to be feeding.
Pre deti
An adult male Nubian giraffe can stand six metres tall. Females are smaller, but they also reach high for their meals. Wild members of this subspecies live in savannas, scrub and woodland in east-central Africa.
A giraffe uses its long, purple-blue tongue to help it eat. It grasps leaves and young shoots, including those of acacias. It also eats flowers and fruit. Its patches have pale edges, creating the distinctive pattern visible along its neck and body.
Giraffes often feed in the morning and evening. They may live alone or in small groups. They need plenty of space with suitable plants. When woodland and savannas become fields or housing, their home breaks into small pieces. Drought and poaching also threaten these tall animals.
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Which food is part of a Nubian giraffe’s diet?
- Poloha
- Enclosure marked with the animal’s name within the zoo