In the animal field, there is a conglomerate of exotic animals that attract a lot of attention, some for their size, others for their color and others for their grace, as is the case of the Giraffes, considered the largest animal on the planet, is covered by a special grace that always catches the eye of those who know them.
Curiosities and facts to know about the tallest animal in the world
You will get to know one of the most fascinating animals among the most gigantic that the natural environment has, they are the Giraffes which are considered the most impressive in the natural world, in addition to being a very important figure in the great extensions of African land. This species is impossible to lose sight of, they grow so much that they can reach a height of up to 5 meters.
In Latin language it can be seen that its name Giraffa camelopardalis comes from the Romans, for them, this consisted of a cross made between the Leopard and the Camel. Interesting note to clarify that, both the Giraffes and the okapi, make up the two unique structures of the current species that exist in the Giraffidae family.
How curious that, the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is a type of creature of artiodactyl mammals of the Giraffidae race native to the African demarcation. It is considered the largest creature that exists among the animals on the planet.
Its large size has been certified at 5.8 meters and its weight ranges from 750 to 1600 kg. It can be seen that it is a breed that has not only been distributed, but has also spread from the northern demarcation of Chad to the south of South Africa, and from the west of Niger to the eastern part of Somalia.
In addition to the tour of the giraffes, the question would arise What giraffe eat? They are lovers of grasslands, as well as of the great savannahs, meadows, and barren forests. Acacia leaves are her favorite food, she grazes in hyper high spaces that other animals cannot reach, she is truly amazing and fascinating not only because of her size but because of her exotic beauty.
A very interesting aspect about the adult stage of the Giraffes is that the Lions chase them, while their young are harassed by spotted hyenas, wild dogs and leopards. It can be clearly seen that, among adult Giraffes, there are no solid social ties, despite the fact that they come together in free groups, they are not selfish, since they move with full skill within the space they occupy.
What can be observed is the way of governing by building a social chain of importance through distinguished combats such as the neck blows, a battle where the neck and head are strong weapons. In which, only the dominant males prevail and can mate with the females.
In relation to the data investigated, it is clarified that giraffe is a basic name, whose term is considered first because it comes from the binomial name Giraffa from the Arabic الزرافة (or zurapha or ziraafa) alluding to "tall".
Taking into account that the second term that qualifies the species camelopardalis comes from the Greek καμηλοπάρδαλη camelopardale, as well as from the Latin expression camelopardalis, it implies the name of leopard camel.
Who first brought the Giraffe to the European region was Julius Caesar when he was on his travels and crusades in Asia Minor and Egypt, which was also where he had the pleasure of meeting Cleopatra.
The Romans did not have the slightest knowledge of what it was and they called it cameleo pardo, a hybrid of leopard and camel, thus being scientifically established that name until today.
Thanks to its particular appearance, the giraffe has become a source of interest in different societies, from ancient to current, it was taken as the main figure in cartoon drawings, in books, paintings and reading books.
It is precisely the year 2016, when the IUCN realized that it was no longer a type of animal that required little attention, but rather saw it as a very fragile type and they were able to confirm this by seeing the great reduction in the population that it encompassed. up to 40% in the course of 1985-2015. Giraffes can still be found in national reserve areas and in parks.
Etymology
Giraffe is a name whose most specific roots arose from the Arabic expression Zarafa (زرافة) as it could have been in a certain African language, which concluded that it means very fast walker.
A more specific fact is that this expression in Arabic came from geri, as a Somali qualifier for this species. It is also determined in Italian, giraffa, an adjective that was raised during the 1590s.
The derivations of the name arose in different syllables in Middle English, which were, gerfauntz, ziraph and jaraf. The innovative English form, giraffe, which had its heyday around 1600 from the French form girafe. What is more interesting is that its origin comes from the Latin expression, camelopardalis.
In the African language there is a wide range of names to identify the Giraffe, such as etiika (luhya) ekori (ateso), kanyiet (elgon), tiga (kalenjin and luo) kameelperd (Afrikaans), Kuri (ma'di), indlulamitsi (siawati), nduida (gikuyu).
Ondere (lugbara), lenywa (meru), ndwiya (kamba), hori (pare), nthutlwa (Shangaan), nudululu (kinyaturu), Iment (samburu), olchangito-oodo (masai) or oloodo- kirragata and twiga (swahili) as well as many others, also on the southern part ndlulamithi (zulu) and on the eastern side to tutwa (lozi), thultlawa (sotho), thuda (band).
Characteristics of Giraffes
Among the latests Moravia's compositions Giraffe Characteristics What stands out most in this amazing and majestic work of nature are the diversities of features that distinguish it. It can be seen that it has a height that ranges between 5 meters.
Just let your imagination fly and visualize how long its legs are, which reach up to two meters high, that is above what a human would have. With respect to their weight, the males reach 1.600 kilos, while the females weigh around 800 kilograms.
Despite their slenderness, it is also possible to see how attractive their spots are, which tend to be colored. One of the most striking parts of giraffes is their dark-colored spots, black as well as rough or oval, they are so perfect that they hit with its yellowish fur, its color is as beautiful as that of the Butterflies, the perfect creation of the great architect who owns the Universe.
Just as the spots or stripes on different creatures, such as tigers or zebras, are special to each individual, the spots on animals are similar to each person's fingerprint, that is a perfect distinction that makes each individual is different from one another.
Similarly, it has two fairly tiny light horns that sit on its head. As the most recent inheritance research indicates, there is all but one group of Giraffes, his was able to verify that there are four types, there are those that have their own subspecies.
In them there is a unique way to distinguish them, namely their size, design, fur and the color of their precious spots. The most eminent contrasts are seen between the tippelskirchi giraffe and the reticulated giraffe, verifying that, in the reticulated giraffe, its little spots are somewhat round and those of the other are toothed, already on that part a distinction that characterizes them.
Taxonomy and evolution of Giraffes
In order of the sciences that have studied this beautiful species, the giraffe has its place of belonging with the Ruminantia suborder, taking into account that a large part of these Ruminantias were defined in the Eocene epoch in Central Asia, Southeast Asia. Asia and North America.
Thinking about their natural conditions was impressive because it greatly helped them to be distributed throughout this period in various parts of the world. Like the figure of the okapi, note that the giraffe has been the most predominant of the Giraffidae family.
Beforehand, because that family was much more extensive, more than ten detailed fossil genera were obtained from it. Having as relatives the climacoceridos, currently finished. That also had the Antilocapridae caste, of which pronghorn remains today, they also have their place of origin with the immense Giraffoidea family.
They have been creatures that for years have advanced through the Miocene cycle from the family the Palaeomerycidae that became extinct in Europe, southern region 8.000.000 years ago. On the other hand, there are the archaic giraffes, among them, the Sivatherium, whose bodies were dense and strong, others, such as the Palaeotragus, Giraffokeryx, who would precede it would be the much longer okapi, Samotherium and Bohlinia.
the okapi
It can be seen that the Bohlinia entered China and northern India as a result of atmospheric change. The genus Giraffa advanced from that point, entering Africa around 7,000,000 years earlier. Climate changes also caused the eradication of the Giraffes of Asia, to which, the giraffes of Africa endured, forming certain animal varieties.
Giraffa camelopardalis was raised around a very long time in East Africa in the middle of the Pleistocene, which were very old times, but have not ceased to be important. That is why certain researchers knowledgeable about biology recommend that the current giraffe originates from G. jumae; while on the other hand they assume that it comes from G. gracilis, considered the most related.
It is understandable that the transformation of the great forests to increasingly open environments had a great influence, this was the main driver of the advance of the giraffes, a procedure that began for quite some time.
Certain scientific studies conjectured that the new territory caused a change in the giraffe feeding alternatively, that involved acacia leaves, which could have exposed the Giraffes to the toxins that caused the massive transformation charges at a faster rate, thus leading to a hugely accelerated development.
In the year 1.758 was the time when the giraffe was incorporated for the first time through Carlos Linnaeus, he was the one who called it binomially Cervus camelopardalis. The Giraffa family was brought together by Morten Thrane Brünnich in 1772.
That is why, in the middle of the XNUMXth century, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck was the one who recommended that the length of the giraffe's neck was an earned characteristic, created when the ages of primitive giraffes tried to reach the leaves of trees that were very tall. .
Thus, this theory was rejected, and researchers now believe that the giraffe's neck was extended by Darwinian choice as a natural order, implying that early giraffes with long necks were long favored because that quality It allowed them to have a better reproduction.
How many are the Subspecies?
There are very interesting data that say that, only until the year 2016, nine subspecies were registered. It was a data obtained through the investigation of atomic and mitochondrial DNA that clearly showed that giraffes are not of a single species, they are of four different species. Due to the last hereditary study, it has been established that the species and their subspecies would be named like this, a population data made in the year 2010:
Giraffa camelopardalis
The Nubian giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, can be established as the nominate subspecies that may well be located in the demarcation of Ethiopia to the southwest, as well as the East of the Sudan region to the South. Therefore, slightly less than 250 individuals have been recorded that are in total wild condition, keeping in mind that it remains an uncertain number for said assertion.
Captive status is rare, although there is a good collection of Giraffes at Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates. And for this reason, by the year 2003, it was already a group of 14 members. Also taking into account that the anti quorum Kordofan giraffe was distributed to the Central African Republic, northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, north of Cameroon and south of Chad.
Beforehand, it was found that the populations in Cameroon had the Giraffa. c. Peralta, however, this was considered illogical. This subspecies is assessed to have a population of less than 3000 in the wild. There was an impressive disorder between this subspecies and Giraffa. c. peralta very attentive to the diversity that was in captivity in zoos.
It happens that, in the year of 2007, it was discovered that all the alleged Giraffa. c. Peralta that were found in European zoos, were really the Giraffas. c. anti quorum, which led to the consideration that when taking this modification into account, it could be said that around 65 were in zoos.
The other is the West African giraffe, Giraffa. c. Peralta, which is often called the Niger giraffe or the Nigerian giraffe, is a species native to that region of southwestern Niger, confirming that there are approximately 220 individuals that live in total freedom in the middle of nature.
The giraffes in the north of Cameroon were accepted because it was concluded that they were part of that subspecies. Later on, facts occur that indicate that they really had their place of origin with Giraffas c, anti quorum, which led to a lack very complex because it lent itself to darkening.
That caused a mess about its status in zoos, however, in the year of 2007, the prevailing conclusion arises that, the Giraffas. C. Peralta found in European zoos are actually Giraffas. c. anti quorum.
It is to be established that the Rothschild Giraffe, Giraffa, has that name in honor of Walter Rothschild, it is also usually designated as the Baringo giraffe or the Ugandan giraffe and its great mass is distributed in very vast regions of Kenya and Uganda, which which is really important in the midst of nature to adorn the landscape with its beauty.
In the environmental spaces of southern Sudan they are not seen regularly or rather their presence is scarce, only an estimate of approximately 700 Giraffes living in total freedom in nature has been calculated, only about 450 are kept in captivity in zoo parks.
giraffa reticulata
How much beauty is achieved in a nature with as many animal expressions as the reticulated giraffe, Giraffa. r. reticulata, which is also called the Somali Giraffe, it can be seen that this type of Giraffe is native to northeastern Kenya, just south of Ethiopia and Somalia.
When registering, it can be easily described that only about 5,000 remain in nature, and as indicated by the data of the International Information System allusive to the Species, it stipulated that around 450 are kept in zoos in total captivity.
giraffa tippelskirchi
It is the majestic Masai giraffe, Giraffa t. tippelskirchi, which is also called the Kilimanjaro giraffe, they can be found both in the central and southern regions of Kenya and in Tanzania. Around 40 continue to enjoy freedom in nature, and about 100 can be found in zoos where they live in captivity, despite the fact that they try to give them a space that is as natural as possible in order for them to adapt.
The way in which this species has been distributed is so extensive and massive that the Zambian giraffe, Giraffa, is found among them. t. Thornicrofti, is distinguished by its grace and beauty, that is the Thornicroft giraffe which in honor of Harry Scott Thornicroft, bears that name, is linked to the Luangwa pass that is located in eastern Zambia. There are a number of 1,500 individuals living freely in nature, they are not in zoos or parks.
giraffe giraffe
Now mention must be made of the graceful South African giraffe, Giraffa. G, she is located in the northern part of South Africa, also in southern Botswana, and in southern Zimbabwe as well as concentrated in southwestern Mozambique. With an estimated 12,000 Giraffes freely grazing in the wild, only a fraction of the 45 are in captivity in parks and zoos trying to live adequately.
Very curious the appearance of the Angolan giraffe or Namibian giraffe, Giraffa. g. angolensis, considering its location in the northern region of Namibia, as well as in southwestern Zambia, Botswana, as well as in western Zimbabwe.
In 2009, a hereditary-based study of this subspecies was carried out, showing a dense population in the north of the Namibian desert and the Etosha National Park, thus comprising an unmistakable subspecies.
Therefore, it has been determined that some 20 individuals are free living in nature in an open way and not in captivity like the 20 that live in parks and zoos. It is very important to understand that each subspecies of giraffe is distinguished through its natural markings made on the skin.
As can be seen very clearly in the case of the Masai giraffe and the reticulated giraffe that show the two limits in the formation of spots on their skin. In the reticulate you can see the spots in a toothed design and in the Masai they are round. Now, if it is located across the width of the marks, it can be seen that it has a very discreet separation.
It can be specified that, in the very elegant West African giraffe, these marks present some thick outlines, while, if you observe that distinction of marks in the reticulated giraffe and the Nubian giraffe, you can realize that they are very fine lines.
Another thing to note is that, in the case of the West African giraffe, its fur is completely clear, it is not the same as the other subspecies. That is why, in 2007, a series of data collected from a recent study on the hereditary qualities of six subspecies was taken as a reference.
Among them the Masai, reticulated, West African, Rothschild, Angola and South African giraffes, from there, the reality was different, because it was suggested that they could be several species instead of subspecies. All this in view of the hereditary cork in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and atomic.
It is then confirmed that, through this study, the native giraffes of these masses were placed in sections for the purpose of reproductive confinement and normally, avoiding the crossing between them, regardless of the way in which there are no common inconveniences for access between populations specifically .
Which incorporates among them certain contiguous populations of what are the Rothschild, Reticulated and Masai giraffes. It is important to clarify that the Masai giraffe may have an origin of certain species totally isolated by the immense Rift meadow as a determining factor in its genetics.
Therefore, it is determined that, with the reticulated and Masai giraffes, a gigantic and quite high variety of mitochondrial DNA is concentrated, thereby indicating that giraffes had their beginning in East Africa. And that therefore the following more Nordic populations developed through the previous ones, thus showing that those southern populations advanced their development from the Nordic populations.
The more the tour goes into this extraordinary animal, wonderful details are obtained that distinguish it and categorize it as a very special species, among these data it can be noted that giraffes make sure that their partners are very similar to them, having very similar fur. , which defines it when they are small.
All these data have become part of the most ingenious discoveries really excellent for the preservation of the giraffe, they were collected from the fist of David Brown, the main creator of the investigation, who told the BBC that “bringing together all the giraffes in a group of animals encompasses the truth that some types of giraffes are on the brink of extinction."
A part of these populations only verifies two or three hundred creatures, thus requiring prompt security protection. On the other hand, according to that scientific review, the West African giraffe is more firmly identified with the Rothschild and reticulated giraffes than with the Kordofan giraffe, a very interesting point to consider.
What is worth mentioning is that its origins could be distributed in some way through the transit from East to North Africa, to later move to its current distribution area due to the immense development that started from the Sahara desert. Which meant that, precisely during the Holocene, Lake Chad, due to its neat and wide condition, functioned as that obstacle in its natural state that would separate the Kordofan giraffes from the West African giraffes.
What is the anatomy and morphology of Giraffes?
Taking into account certain aspects, it should be mentioned that, when Giraffes are adults, they manage to measure between 5 and 6 m high; the males tend to be larger than the females, see that the adult male reaches a weight of 1.192 kg while the female weighs 828 kg.
Interesting that both his legs and his neck are quite long, unlike the body that is very short. It has large eyes, very well located on both sides of the head, they are enormous and protruding and what they offer a great panoramic vision from an incredible height, Giraffes are perfect.
They also have a very admirable intelligence because they distinguish colors well, their sense of smell and their ears are really excellent and highly developed to capture what is necessary and sufficient, they use a defense mechanism against ants and terrible sandstorms by closing the gaps very tightly of the nose.
The Giraffe's tongue is prehensile and can measure around 50 cm long, its color is dark purple, perhaps to protect it from sunburn, it uses it very well to take the foliage, as well as to prepare and clean itself. nose. The upper lip is similarly prehensile and is used during foliage assortment. The lips, tongue, and inside of the mouth are secured with papillae that provide security against thorns.
Remembering also that the upper lip is also prehensile, it serves perfectly to grab the branches of the trees, something more curious is that both its lips and the center of the mouth and tongue are covered by the papillae that are the mantle of protection against the thorns found in the trees.
Its body is covered with dark spots and patches, in some Giraffes they are brown, orange, brown looking towards him black, isolated by light hair, which mostly tend to be white or cream, an important aspect is that, in males these shades get much darker as they age.
It is interesting how similar they are to the White Tiger in your stain design. Another point of importance and this time it has to do with the design of the skin that allows it to camouflage itself very well in the midst of the light and shadow of the ambushed savannah.
It also shows another point of interest in relation to the skin that is under the spots that are exclusive to the venous system as well as to the large organs of perspiration, whose purpose is to provide thermoregulation of the body as a whole.
Also understanding that, mostly the skin of the Giraffe is dark and thick, it is incredible how this animal transits through the bushes and only its skin serves as a protective vest against the spinage that is on the road where it passes without being accused. no kind of damage.
In the same way, the fur works as a natural fungicide, thereby allowing the parasite repellents it has to give it a special aroma that is very typical of them. Understanding that its fur is made up of 11 sweet-smelling synthetic compounds, despite the fact that indole and 3-methylindole are the ones that give it the most intense aroma.
The males possess in themselves a more penetrating aroma than the females, it is believed that this aroma has a truly sexual purpose in the Giraffes. It can also be seen that along its neck it shows a beautiful mane of short and steep hairs, that its tail is one meter long and that at the tip it has a little bow of dark hair that is very useful to scare away insects that cause inconvenience.
Very important facts about the skull and ossicones
Both female and male giraffes have osicones in their structure, very remarkable arrangements that are very similar to horns; that are framed from soft bones that harden, which are secured with skin and combined with the skull in the parietal bones very important to keep in mind.
Osicones play a fundamental role in thermoregulation, especially it is a weapon used by males when facing duels. By seeing the shape of the osicones, you can recognize the sex or age of a giraffe. For example, in giraffes that are young and in females they are thin and have a tuft of hair on top, but not in adult males a goatee with a kind of baldness on top.
Following this wonderful journey through the anatomical part of the Giraffes, it can be noted that, in the males, a medium bulge is noted, progressively articulated, which rises from the front of the skull. In males, calcium reserves are created that form dents in the skull as they age. They also have different cranial sinuses that make the skull lighter.
Taking into account that, in the case of male Giraffes, that skull becomes somewhat heavier, being very similar to a golf club as they age, this undoubtedly favors them a lot when it comes to a battle. And that the upper jaw has a rather grooved palate, it does not have front teeth. Curious that his molars only have a wrinkled and incredibly useful surface.
What about the legs, locomotion and posture of Giraffes?
Seeing a Giraffe, you may wonder how long its legs can be? It is clarified that the very fine front and rear legs have the same length. The ulna and radius of the front legs are engaged by the carpus which works like a knee, even though it is basically identical to a human wrist.
Thirty centimeters in diameter have the foot, with a helmet that is 15 cm high in males, being smaller in females with 10 cm. See something somewhat curious, and that is that the rear of the hooves is relatively low, leaving the spur very close to the ground, that is what helps the foot to support the great weight of the animal. It does not have interdigital glands. The pelvis has an all-encompassing ilium at the upper ends.
Giraffes move under two very characteristic modalities that are galloping and walking. They transit to the movement of their long legs very coordinated with the body from one side to another. When they gallop there is a very elegant way of moving the hind legs around the front legs before the last push forward, keeping the tail tucked.
It is amazing that as they gallop, each movement they make depends on the action they execute by moving the head forward and backward in conjunction with the neck to maintain adjustment and balance. It is incredible that they usually reach a speed of up to 60 km / h in short separations and can continue galloping at a speed of 50 km / h in a separation of a few kilometers.
It folds its legs to lie down and rest on its body, precisely on its legs that it has folded. An interesting point is that they bend over their front legs, carefully lowering the rest of the body in order to fall very gently to rest. To stand up, you can see, he kneels down and stretches his hind legs to lift his rump, straightening up well on his front legs.
In each movement, it moves its head, when Giraffes are in captivity, they rest irregularly around 4,6 hours a day, essentially in the afternoon. It usually dozes lying down, despite the fact that cases of resting on its feet have been taken into account, especially among the more experienced giraffes, that is, they can doze standing up.
In the pleasant moments when they lie down to rest, they experience very brief cycles of "deep rest", which they do by tilting their neck back to place their head on their hip or thigh, a position they take to doze, which indicates amazing rest.
This is another very fascinating facet of Giraffes and that is that when they need to drink water, they turn down to drink, spread their front legs along the side or bend their knees.
For this reason, swimming giraffes would not be excellent swimmers because their legs are very long and would make them extremely uncomfortable in the water, despite the fact that it is conceivable that they could glide and float. When they are in the water it is difficult for them to swim, so the thorax will be overwhelmed by the weight of the front legs, which will hinder the creature, which can move its neck and legs congruently as well as keep its head on the outside of the water.
How is the neck of the Giraffes?
It is to visualize that the giraffe's neck is extremely stretched, reaching 2 m in length, that is what makes it so special and indicates to a great extent the vertical height it has. The length of her neck is the secondary effect of the lateral stretching of the cervical vertebrae, a condition that is not because she has additional vertebrae, simply her neck is long and that makes her very attractive.
It is very consistent that each cervical vertebra has a length of more than 28 cm. Which implies that it takes 52 to 54% of the length of the giraffe's spine; by correlation, 27-33% are handled in representation of huge camels that are similar, which indicates that it is the closest member of the giraffe, of the okapi, which is also long.
It is extremely important that the stretching of the neck happens for the most part after birth, because otherwise it would be very difficult for the female and would mean that they would have problems giving birth with neck extensions similar to adult giraffes.
It is further to be understood that both the neck and the head are hooked through a nuchal tendon and huge muscles that are attached by long enough dorsal spines to the front thoracic vertebrae, which gives the creature a bulge.
The neck has ball joints in its vertebrae, so note that the atlas, axis joint (C1 and C2) are the vertebrae that specifically help the giraffe tilt its head vertically to reach the higher branches with its tongue and take them for yourself.
It is noteworthy that its point of juncture between the giraffe's cervical and thoracic vertebrae has effectively moved toward the first and second thoracic vertebrae (T1 and T2), in contrast to most other ruminants, where the juncture is between the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and T1, within the most prominent points of their vertebrae.
This guarantees that the C7 vertebra directly favors the length of the neck to expand, giving way to the claim that T1 is undoubtedly C8, presumably it is believed that giraffes included an additional cervical vertebra and that its length lies there.
However, this recommendation is not commonly recognized, since T1 has other morphological qualities, for example, a rib joint, thought in the determination of the thoracic vertebrae.
Emphasizing in light of the fact that there are special cases at the furthest end of seven cervical vertebrae among well-evolved creatures and that they are typically described by an expansion of the neurological variations of the different anomalies as well as certain diseases that cause it.
There are two main speculations about the transformative starting point and the preservation of length in the giraffe's neck. For this reason, the "browser rivalry theory" is conceived, which was initially proposed by Charles Darwin, and was recently addressed. And of course questioned.
This speculation is understood to have suggested that serious weight among small browsers, for example, kudu, steenbok, and impala, prompted neck elongation in the giraffe, because it granted access to food that was out of reach for contending species. .
This position is quite favorable and very valid, taking into account that giraffes feed on the tops of trees that reach up to 4.5 m high, while the contenders who have considered the kudu to be gigantic among themselves, only discover how graze up to a height of 2 m only, that is the difference with the Giraffes.
In addition, there is research suggesting that there is serious rivalry between browsers at lower levels, so giraffes feed more productively, increasing leaf biomass with each bite, when they feed on those parts that are very high as the sprouts.
However, those investigations differ on the time giraffes spend nursing at levels beyond what different browsers could achieve, which, according to a 2010 report that found that adult giraffes with longer necks even suffered more and died through the dry seasons than those who had their necks short.
They were studies that argued that more supplements were required to maintain a more stretched neck, which makes giraffes with long necks at risk of perishing in the midst of moments when there is food deficiency.
The second principle hypothesis, which is the sexual choice theory, suggests that long necks advanced as an optional sexual marking, because they presented a preferred position in males in the midst of neck fights, thus dominance is constructed. between rival males, allowing access to sexually explicit females.
It is for this reason that the males have a more developed neck than the same females even though they are very similar in age, so the males do not have another form of battle, this is presumed to favor what this hypothesis declared.
In any case, one complaint is that the hypothesis does not clarify why females are also long necks, it is really curious. To all this we get that the Giraffidae family has only two species; Because of the giraffe's conspicuous long neck, contemplated genomics have endeavored to elucidate this important trait in giraffes.
Once the sequences of the two individuals of this family had been reached and by relative research with other eutherian warm-blooded creatures, 70 qualities were recognized which give numerous indications of giraffe fit. These qualities encode controllers of bone, cardiovascular, and apprehensive events.
Therefore, in another examination, the successions of the two types of the family Giraffidae were aligned with those of the steers (Bos Taurus). Thus establishing that the long neck of the giraffe is probably the consequence of transformations in two arrangements of hereditary qualities, in one of those groups that controls the joint designs of hereditary quality through the growth of the neck and the other that controls the statement of development factors.
Therefore, several qualities identified with the genetic advancement of a more notable cardiovascular condition and that were additionally connected to address the problem of a more extended neck that also requires adequate blood flow.
This is why the giraffe has more confusing physiological problems, so such tweaks of nature, particularly according to its circulatory framework, may be of value in treating cardiovascular conditions and hypertension in people.
internal systems
These systems in warm-blooded animals such as mammals are very important: the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, which is longer than the right; in the giraffe, for example, it can be noted that it is 30 cm longer. These nerves are longer in the giraffe than in any other living creature.
It is a nerve that is located on the left side with a length of 2 m, although it is true that each nerve cell in this line originates in the stem of the brain which crosses the neck making a journey through the long extension of the brain. vagus nerve to later properly branch into the recurrent laryngeal nerve that again passes through the neck to the larynx, an interesting and flattering route for the Giraffe.
Consequently, it can be seen that these nerve cells are approximately 5 m long in giraffes, which are larger. Something also striking is the conformation of the brain of a giraffe which is very similar to that of domestic cows.
It is impressive that the conformation of its skeleton is somewhat strange, because it only allows a small lung volume comparable to its mass. Its long neck gives a great volume to its body, regardless of its limited trachea. They are components that increase protection against wind current.
As for the circulatory frame that the giraffe has, it can be seen that there are some adjustments in it due to its height. If their heart is taken into account, it is established that it reaches a weight of 11 kg, with around 61 cm in length, this causes them to produce much more blood flow than a human being should need to achieve a good balance in blood circulation in the head.
In this way, it is observed that the wall of the heart can be as thick as 7,5 cm. For a tour of 150 pulses per minute, due to the enormous size of the Giraffe, it has an abnormally high pulse.
It also has a pressure regulation system at the highest point of the neck, it is a wonderful network, which prevents the abundance of blood flow that goes to the brain at the moment it bends its head down.
It has a venous conformation of various jugular veins, which implies that they contain some seven very useful valves that serve to prevent blood from flowing towards the head from the inferior vena cava and towards the right atrium to the movement made by the Giraffe when lowering the head. .
On the contrary, the veins that are located in the lower legs are always kept at a very high pressure, due to the fact that their weight pushes them down. For this reason, they have thick and tight skin on their lower legs that protects the accumulation of blood in the legs.
In relation to the muscles, the ones that the giraffe has are abnormally solid esophageal muscles, very effective when throwing food from the stomach to the neck, then to the mouth to chew. It does it just like the different mammals, they have a stomach made up of four chambers, the first one adjusts to its particular feeding routine.
The digestive tract of the giraffe is 80 m long with a balance between the small and large intestine. It has a very thick small liver. The gallbladder remains present throughout the duration of fetal life, which subsequently ceases before it is born.
How is the behavior and ecology of Giraffes?
Regarding the environment, the giraffe lives only in Africa, it can be found in the savannah, grassland and open forest territories. Even though it is native to Africa, its distribution is very dispersed, starting from the great region of Chad to South Africa and from the region of Niger to Somalia.
Similarly, it can be noted that giraffes are friendly creatures and in general, they will not fear man, they are very friendly. They live in crowds of about ten individuals, they make open conformations, because they are not selfish, there is no social bond between them that amalgamates them, they are always on the move and their meetings are always very pleasant.
Habitat and feeding of giraffes
Their place where they spend most of their lives is in extensive savannahs, in beautiful and rich grasslands, as well as in large open forests. They lean heavily towards open Commiphora, Acacia, Combretum and Terminalia woodlands rather than open spaces like the extensive Brachystegia woodlands.
For the Angolan giraffe, its best environment is in the desert regions, where it can more easily browse the upper parts of the trees, they are very inclined towards the trees of the Commiphora and Acacia genera, as well as those of Terminalia, due to their great important source of food. calcium and proteins that are really essential for the rate of development of the giraffe.
Likewise, it benefits from shrubs, herbs and also natural fruits. They consume the amount of 34 kg of branches every day. At the moment when they feel exhausted and tired, they only bite the shell of the stems of the branches. They are herbivores, but despite their condition of eating only plants, they also tend to approach the hides of dead animals to eat the remains of dried meat that remain on the bones.
The important thing about their height is that they allow them to easily reach the tops of the trees to feed, they are fantastic because they do not compete with any other animal to eat from the plants because, due to their size, only they can do so. Another type of animal that can reach the tops of the acacia trees are the largest elephants, however, they are not conflictive or make a dispute that influences the feeding routine for both parties.
In the midst of the rainy season, it can be found that giraffes feed more abundantly and progressively spread out, while in the midst of the dry season they focus on leftover evergreen trees and shrubs to supplement their feeding.
In general, mums feed in open regions, most likely encouraging location by predators, despite the fact that this may decrease keeping productivity. Like all mammalian animals, the first thing the giraffe does is bite its food, which it swallows to process it, a process that will later take the slightly ground bolus of food to its neck and mouth to bite it once more.
It is a very normal process that it salivates while chewing, the giraffe requires less food than many different herbivores, in light of the fact that the litter on which it feeds contains a large supply of supplements, in addition to having a more productive digestive tract.
Their stools are like tiny pellets. He drinks water in distant periods of time, he does not do it as often. Giraffes notably affect the trees they use to feed, which hinders the development of young trees, slowing their growth for a long time, causing the waist effect in trees that are taller.
The diet focuses essentially on spaces focused on the morning and afternoon. They are hours in which they remain standing ruminating. Rumination is also the predominant movement around the time of the afternoon, more when it is at rest.
Giraffes by nature are animals that feed on plants, their favorite dish consists of acacia leaves, it is their delight to eat them, this being a very tall tree, which is higher. It is noteworthy that the Giraffa camelopardalis is a creature that easily attaches itself to terrestrial animals, and that likewise endures a time of several days without drinking water, because it obtains liquids from the plants and fruits that it eats.
How is the social life and reproduction of Giraffes?
It can be said that giraffes are usually grouped together, although they are open gatherings they can change constantly. They have almost no strong social bonds and those meetings will generally change individuals at regular intervals.
The most constant meetings are those made up of mothers and offspring, which remain together for a considerable period of time or even months, and the social union in these meetings is preserved through the ties that are structured between the offspring as a large family.
In relation to the adult females and the young males, they group in a mixed way, the young males behave in a friendly way, they are very sociable, they make simulated battles. However, as boys develop, they become lonely.
They present a polygamous reproduction, the most robust males are characterized as those capable of mating with females that are very fertile. The males carry out a very common practice among them of taking the female's urine to know if she is already in heat season.
The males are very interested in the females that are in full stage of development, which are the young adults. The moment he identifies a female in heat, the male will go out of his way to charm her. Through the courtship phase it will keep other subordinate males at a distance.
At the moment when he is going to copulate, the male stands on his hind legs raising his head up, supports his front legs on the sides of the female to support himself. Although they do not make much noise, giraffes use different sounds in order to establish contact with each other.
When the male courts the female, he emits certain noises in order to attract her, while the females, to establish contact with their young, emit mooing. The young make panting, bleating, and mewing noises. Giraffes make dry sounds, murmurs, moans and hisses; at significant distances they talk to each other using infrasound to communicate.
pregnancy of a giraffe
Regarding reproduction, giraffes reach sexual development in approximately six years. It is impressive that the best way for males to know if a female is ready to procreate is by testing their urine.
The gestation period extends somewhat until reaching 15 months, regularly, they have a single calf for each delivery, although in rare events they can give birth to twins. It is interesting that from the moment they are born, get up and walk, they have a weight of around 100 kilos, with an expectation of living 25 years.
Birth of the Giraffes
After a pregnancy process that takes between 400-460 days, the female typically gives birth to a single baby giraffe, it is rarely pregnant with twins. The female gives birth to a calf standing up. The giraffe calf first shows its head and forelegs, after breaking through the fetal layers, and falls to the ground, severing the line that joins it to its mother.
A giraffe calf reaches a height of approximately 1,8 m, after it is born and stands up, it can run and in less than a week it is no longer known if it is a calf due to its development. When the females give birth, for the most part they are grouped in groups, where they are all together browsing. Occasionally, some females in a group may leave their young with another female while they eat and drink at another location distant from the group.
This action is called giraffe nursery, it is the work of the females, adult men do not assume an outstanding job in raising the young, despite the fact that they usually have well-disposed collaborations. When the calves are in danger of predation, the female covers them and fights for them, kicking whoever seeks to harm her calf.
It is very important the work that the females who take care of the calves in the giraffe nursery do, possibly they will alarm their calves in the event that they distinguish a disturbing influence or danger, they will warn and the other calves will understand and follow her to where she is. save them.
What is neck fencing?
This activity consists of the way the males use their necks or necks as weapons in the battle with their rivals, the neck battle is used to determine who dominates among the males; those who succeed in these duels have more prominent regenerative achievements.
This behavior occurs with low or high force. In low-strength duels, warriors rub and neck toward each other in a somewhat dominating manner. The males will extend their front legs and twist their necks in order to pummel the other with incredible power with their ossicones.
Contestants will try to evade each other's blows and then plan to fight back. The power of the blows is based on the heaviness of the skull and the circular segment of the swing. It is an event that usually lasts about 30 minutes, considering the power parity between the contenders.
Although in these duels sometimes, serious injuries are not caused, there have been broken jaws, cracks in the neck and even deaths because they fight with all their might until they defeat the opponent. Once the battle between the two males has taken place, it is normal for the two males to caress each other and make peace.
It is clear that a very close interaction arises between them that leads them to mount each other. According to studies carried out, it was found that up to 94% of mounts occurred between males. Only 1% of same-sex mating occurred between females, it was more pronounced in males.
Giraffe mortality and health
Giraffes are considered to have a future of living 25 years in the wild, rare in contrast to other ruminants. For reasons of size, great vision, and incredible kicks, adult giraffes don't rely on predation. In any case, they can be chased by lions, and even become normal prey for them in the Kruger National Park.
Also Nile crocodiles often become a real danger to giraffes when they turn to drink water in the sanctuaries where these predators live. Giraffe calves become easy prey more than adults, they are also harassed by Black Panther, hyenas and wild canines, those that manage to reach adulthood are reduced, because they are prey to these animals that hunt them.
In order to take care of the predators that lurk in the surroundings, the Giraffes gather in groups and crouch down first while the others keep watch. Some of them are responsible for taking a look at various areas, while the others remain twisted around the consumption of the water.
Giraffes are affected by various parasites, they often have ticks, particularly in the genital region, because there, the skin is thinner. The species of ticks that suck the blood of giraffes are those of the genus Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma and Amblyomma.
Birds such as the Piquigualdo or Oxpecker are very helpful for Giraffes, because they will free them from ticks and serve as alarms in the face of threats. Giraffes harbor various types of internal parasites and are defenseless against various ailments.
What is your relationship with man?
People since ancient times have had good interaction with giraffes. Even medicinal dances people have taken with the name of Giraffes; The giraffe movement is performed to treat diseases of the head, such as ailments. The cause of the giraffe's height has been the subject of a few African stories, including one that relates that the giraffe grew up eating lots of supernatural herbs.
The Kifians made a stone engraving of two life-size giraffes that has been touted as the "largest handcrafted stone petroglyph in the world." The Egyptians gave their own pictograph to the giraffe, called sr in ancient Egypt and mmm in subsequent periods. Likewise, they kept the giraffes as pets and sent them to different destinations in the Mediterranean region.
its cultural significance
A very important fact, in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the giraffe was known, it was accepted that it was a characteristic cross between a camel and a leopard, they called it camelopardalis. The giraffe was one of the many creatures that the Romans caught and displayed as prizes.
The giraffe that was first in Rome was brought by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. C, and he showed it to people in general. When the Roman Empire fell, the number of giraffes living in Europe also dwindled. It is from the Middle Ages that giraffes first became familiar with Europeans through contact with the Arabs, who adored the giraffe for its curious appearance.
In 1414, a giraffe was sent from Malindi to Bengal. It was immediately brought to China by the traveler Zheng He and put in a zoo in the Ming dynasty. The creature was a source of interest to Chinese individuals, who related it to the legendary Qilin.
The "Medici giraffe" was a giraffe that met Lorenzo de' Medici in 1486. It caused an incredible disturbance by appearing in Florence. There was another well-known giraffe that was brought from Egypt to Paris in the mid-nineteenth century as a blessing from Mehmet Ali of Egypt to Charles X of France.
Exploitation and Conservation Status of Giraffes
Giraffes were an object of interest to hunters throughout Africa, with various body parts being used for different purposes. The meat was used as food. The tail hairs were used as fly swatters, bracelets, accessories, and ropes.
The skin was used to make shields, shoes, and drums, and the ligaments were used as strings for instruments. Smoke from consuming giraffe skin was used by Buganda healers to treat nosebleeds. In the city of Humr, in Sudan, the drink Umm Nyolokh is made, using the liver and bone marrow of giraffes.
How do giraffes sleep?
For a long time it has been considered that the Giraffe is a warm-blooded animal that does not rest, however, the fact is very different. Without a doubt, it is difficult to see her resting, she is a creature gifted to sleep five or six hours every day on a 10-minute scale and this, obviously, in submission.
The fundamental explanation is survival, it is a creature highly sought after by predators, for example, crocodiles, tigers or lions. This is how he continually filters the horizon, always aware of fleeing if vital. That is the reason why you cannot have a deep rest.
Another interesting fact that depends on this is that giraffes rest standing up, in case it is important to flee if there is a risk, despite the fact that in submission you can discover them with their heads resting on their backs.
endangered giraffes
The giraffe from the beginning became hunting prey that was harassed for its meat, its skin as well as the different parts of its body that were used to make certain articles, accessories, wallets, shoes or embellishments.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the giraffe's current status as defenseless. Deforestation, with the decline of their common environment, like persecution, are the main dangers facing these majestic creatures. Even when it protects itself, it is still susceptible to persecution and oppression.
