Masai Giraffe

Giraffes are the tallest land animals in the world.  They’re found throughout Africa in grasslands called savannas.  Their scientific name means “the camel leopard” because they look a bit like a combination of those two animals.  Giraffes can cover a lot of ground.  Don’t be fooled, they look slow because their legs are so very long, but they can run at speeds of almost 40 miles per hour!

Physical Description

Giraffes are easily recognized by their long necks, horns and patchwork coat patterns.  They have brownish patches with lighter striping in between. As they get older, their colors darken.  Giraffes are extremely tall animals.  Females can stand 14 feet tall and large males can stand 18 feet tall (almost twice as tall as a basketball hoop).  Their front legs are longer than their hind legs, which helps them to eat leaves high up in tree branches.

Diet

Giraffes keep their young together as a form of “wild day care.”  Mother giraffes leave their young ones together in a large group during the day so that they can go off and eat.  By being together many calves can keep a better look out for danger.  The mothers return before night time to care for their calves.  Giraffes can form herds of up to 25 animals, which can include females, calves and young males.