Giraffes

1
Giraffes

• By Maddy Harris

2
Relatives

• The closest and only relative of a giraffe, is
  an okapi. An okapi, has black and white striped
  legs, and a brownish back that looks like a
  horse. Its tongue is so long, it can clean its
  own nose, ears, and eyes.

3
Horns

• Their horns are covered with fur and skin. They
  are not true horns, because they dont have a
  hard cover over them.

4
Appetite and Range

• Appetite giraffes eat leaves, twigs, and fruit.
  
  
• Range Giraffes live in Africa. (They live on the
  yellow parts of the map.)

5
Size and life

• Males are 18 feet tall, and are taller than
  African elephants. Females, are 14 feet tall.
  Their legs are 6 feet tall, and their neck is
  7.Their backs can get up to 5 feet. They weigh
  2,600 pounds. They can live up to 28 years in the
  wild.

6
Enemies

• Lions can kill adult giraffes. They either
  ambush them or attack while they are sleeping.
  The giraffes defend themselves by kicking their
  enemy with their legs. Young giraffes may be
  killed by lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and
  crocodiles.

7
Moving

• When they move, they move both legs on one side,
  then both on the other. When they gallop, they do
  the two in the front, then the two in the back.
  They can gallop up to 35 M.P.H.

8
Color

• A giraffe has patch-like markings of tawny or
  chestnut brown. Their color helps them
  camouflage.

9
Babies

• A female giraffe may give birth at only 5 yrs.
  of age. A calf is 6 feet, and 150 lbs. when born.
  They can stand up within an hour. It is rare to
  have twins.