Communication

• Were thought to be mute it’s a myth

• Grunt, snort, and bleat and also recent research has shown evidence that the animal communicates at an infrasound level.

• Calves bleat and make a mewing call Females seeking lost calves bellow

• Males may emit a raucous cough

Predators• Lion- ½ of young giraffes killed are by lions or hyenas

• Nile crocodile- Growing ten feet or longer, this stealthy reptile ambushes large animals when they settle down to drink.

• Only 25 to 50% of giraffe calves reach adulthood

• Humans-

– Giraffes are hunted for their meat, coat and tails. The tail is prized for good luck bracelets, fly whisks and string for sewing beads.

– The coat is used for shield coverings.

• Habitat destruction and fragmentation are also threats to giraffe populations.

Defense

• Runs fast

• Kick

• A kick canbshatter a lion's skull or break its spine.

• Sleeps only 1 to 2 hours in a 24 hour period

• Myth- that giraffes cannot lie down and that if they do so, they will die.

Life span

• Longest known lifespan in wild25 years

• Longest known lifespan in captivity27 years

• Expected lifespan in wild10 to 15 years

• Expected lifespan in captivity20 to 25 years; avg. 25 years

Status and Population

• Valnerable Giraffe tails are highly prized by many African cultures.

• Stable population

Human encounters

• The Good

• In Niger, conservation of giraffes has been made a priority.

• Zoos

• Wild Life Preserves

• Hunting Laws

• Harsher punishment for poachers

• The Bad

• hunted and poached for their skin, meat, and tail.

• The thick skin has been made into buckets, reins, whips, straps for harnesses, and sometime for musical instruments

• Habitat destruction

• Populations drastically fallen in west Africa.

Random Fact

• Some giraffes can lose the bottom part of their tail to cysts resulting from tick bites 

• Tall Blondes: A Book About Giraffes, by Lynn Sherr; Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1997.

• Animals flock to them for protection• Can see if a predator is coming

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/fact-giraffe.cfm

http://www.oaklandzoo.org/atoz/azgiraf.html

http://www.nature-wildlife.com/girtxt.htm

http://www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/giraffe.html