Group B St. Aloysius - St. Munchins  Giraffes                      
Description/Appearance:

The giraffes are the tallest of all land living animals.

Each Giraffe has a different pattern on its coat so they can tell each other apart. A giraffe is taller than a double decker bus. Some giraffes are six metres tall. It's head is small and narrow and the eyes are dark and soft. It has large pointed ears and has a really good sense and sight and smell. Between its ears it usually has two short horns covered with skin and hair. The giraffe has very good eye-sight and, bacause of it's hight it can see for along distance. A giraffe has striped legs like a zebras.

 

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Habitat/Home:

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Sometimes giraffes come together into a herd of six. Giraffes can still be found in the open plains of South Africa, as far North as the Sudan and Senagal in the West. Unfortunately they have disappeared from some parts of Africa. 
Food:

Giraffes feed on trees and shrubs. They pick the leaves off with their tongues. Their tongues are 45cm long and they help them to pick through the acacia trees and they are full of spiky branches. You can tell a female and a male apart by the way they eat. A female eats with her head down. A male eats with his head up. When they are drinking, they have to spread their front legs out, so they can reach the water. A girffe can do without water for many weeks. The giaffe is so tall it is easy to spot them in their homeland of African. They use their height to get tasty food like buds, leaves and fruits.

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Young:

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A single calf is born which can trot along behind its mother after two or three days. Sometimes twins are born. A baby giraffe is able to stand about half an hour after it is born.

Behaviour/Movement:

Giraffes live in herds. It has a peculiar way of walking - it ambles rather than walks. When it is frightened, it can gallop along at more than 35 miles an hour. It will also protect itself by kicking out. A single well- placed kick of an adult giraffe can shatter a lion's skull or break it's spine.  GIraffes usually sleep standing up. When  they lie down, they find it difficult to get up again. When two giraffes fight,  they bang their long necks against each other. 

 

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Predators:

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  Lions can often attack giraffes who are injured. Tigers and leopards kill giraffes but a kick from a giraffe can kill a lion. Their enormus height helps them to spot predators. Their long legs helps them to run fast and  helps them to run away from dager. The giraffes only enemy is the lion.

Other Interesting Facts:

Males can be 4.8 to 5.5 metres tall and weigh up to 1360 kilograms.The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, which is between 10 minutes and two hours in a 24-hour period. The instinct of some other African animals is to stay close to the giraffe for the giraffes high vantage point can see predators from far away. A giraffe dos not like to get wet.

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