Giraffe Exhibit
Visitors to Southwick's Zoo have always had a fascination with the giraffes. Is it because of their incredible height? Their quiet demeanor? Their super long tongues? Their slow, long, easy gait? Or maybe it's their beautifully lush eyelashes? When you ask adults and children alike, everyone has a different reason why they love the giraffes. One thing is for sure, they are definitely an impressive and beautiful animal. Southwick's Zoo is home to Reticulated Giraffes and they are a favorite here at the zoo.
Reticulated Giraffe
Scientific Name: giraffa camelopardalis (means fast walking camel leopard!)
Class: Mammalia
Appearance: Giraffes are the tallest land animal in the world. The neck is so long that the giraffe must spread their front legs apart so the head can reach down to drink! The giraffe's high shoulders and sloping back give the impression that the front legs are longer than the hind legs, but they are in fact only slightly longer. Reticulated giraffes range in color from white to cream with light brown, reddish brown, or black markings in a lattice pattern. As the giraffe ages, the coat darkens. Giraffes have skin-covered horns or knobs called ossicorns on their head and they are found on both males and females. As the giraffes get older, the ossicorns turn from bristle to bone which protect the head from blows. A male Giraffe can weigh as much as 4000 pounds and grow to 17 feet tall! Females can weigh up to 2600 pounds and grow as tall as 15 feet! They possess prehensile lips along with a 15 inch tongue to grasp food and leaves from trees and plants. Giraffes are ruminants and possess 3 stomachs so they can eat a lot of leaves (up to 100 lbs) that can be stored to digest later.
Lifespan: The average lifespan is 20 - 25 years.
Habitat: Reticulated giraffes can be found on the African savanna & arid, dry zones of the Sahara desert while they travel in herds.
Diet: Giraffes feed on various selective vegetation. In the wild, they favor fresh growth Acacia and Mimosa brush and can browse and eat for 16 - 20 hours a day. The Giraffes at Southwick's Zoo love the browse from the local trees, they are especially fond of maple leaves.
Predators: Man, Lions, & Hyenas! Giraffes are easily killed by poachers for their tail and hide. African farmers will kill giraffes because they are slow foragers and interfere with their farmlands. Giraffes are not currently protected in the wild, only in national parks.
Fun Facts: Giraffes are one of the largest, strongest, and most peaceful creatures on earth. A giraffe has two gaits...walking and galloping. Male and Female giraffes tend to eat from different parts of the tree to prevent fighting! Each time a giraffe picks up it's neck, it lifts around 550 pounds! The neck has only 7 vertebra (the same as a human), but they also have arteries in their neck that controls the flow of blood from the heart to the head so that the animal won't faint raising or lowering their head. Males will neck wrestle to establish dominance in the herd. Giraffes can reach a speed of 35 mph! A giraffe will only usually sleep for 1 - 12 minutes at a time. One giraffe step can be 15 feet long!
