Africa is home to the world's tallest mammal, called Giraffa camelopardalis aka Giraffes. Giraffes are the tallest mammal on earth. Their legs are about 6 feet tall and the tallest giraffes can be recorded up to 5.9m. A group of giraffes is called a tower. Despite being incredibly tall, giraffes still only have seven vertebrae in their neck, the same number as humans and most other mammals. They can run about 35 mph for a short time. Unlike most other four-legged mammals, giraffes swing both legs on the same side at almost the same time during their walk, known as pacing. This movement is lost, however, when the giraffe breaks into a gallop. Giraffe feet are the size of a dinner plate with a diameter of 30cm. Before Mating, the Female Giraffe
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Female giraffes give birth standing up. Their young fall about 2m to the ground and can stand up within an hour of birth.The gestation period for a giraffe is 457 days, which is about 15 months. Generally, only a single baby is born. Calves can stand up and walk in an hour. About 50% of all giraffe calves do not survive their first year. Calves are usually attacked by lions, hyenas, leopards and african wild dogs and are killed in their first few months. Both male and females have two distinct hair covered horns. Males use their horns to fight other males. When fighting, male giraffes will push and shove against each other. This occasionally escalates into powerful blows delivered by their muscular necks. The loser can be knocked off, and sometimes even killed. Both male and female giraffe have horns already at birth. These ossicones lie flat and are not attached to the skull to avoid injury at birth. They only fuse with the skull later in life. Giraffes only need 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hour period, they usually achieve that in quick naps that last a few minutes. Giraffes used to be distributed throughout North and West Africa, including the Sahara, and along the
Female giraffes give birth standing up. Their young fall about 2m to the ground and can stand up within an hour of birth.The gestation period for a giraffe is 457 days, which is about 15 months. Generally, only a single baby is born. Calves can stand up and walk in an hour. About 50% of all giraffe calves do not survive their first year. Calves are usually attacked by lions, hyenas, leopards and african wild dogs and are killed in their first few months. Both male and females have two distinct hair covered horns. Males use their horns to fight other males. When fighting, male giraffes will push and shove against each other. This occasionally escalates into powerful blows delivered by their muscular necks. The loser can be knocked off, and sometimes even killed. Both male and female giraffe have horns already at birth. These ossicones lie flat and are not attached to the skull to avoid injury at birth. They only fuse with the skull later in life. Giraffes only need 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hour period, they usually achieve that in quick naps that last a few minutes. Giraffes used to be distributed throughout North and West Africa, including the Sahara, and along the