Who is bigger blue whale or elephant. The biggest animals. Description of the giraffe, appearance, characteristics

Giraffe

Giraffe is an African animal. They live in open steppes - savannahs with sparsely located trees and shrubs. They live in small herds of 12-15 individuals. They feed mainly on leaves and branches of various acacias.

Giraffes are very peaceful creatures. They join in small herds. Each member of this herd is very respectful of the rest, respects and loves his leader. There is almost no fight. If it is necessary to find out who to lead in the herd, bloodless duels are arranged. Applicants converge closely and begin to hit each other's necks.

The duel between males does not last long, no more than a quarter of an hour. The defeated retreats, but he is not expelled from the herd, as is the case with many animals, but remains in it as an ordinary member.

The birth of a giraffe is a joyful event for the whole herd. The giraffe born into the world, each adult gently greets with a touch of the nose.

Giraffes courageously protect babies, no matter whose they are. The parent is especially protective of her offspring. She, without hesitation, rushes towards a flock of hyenas, does not retreat in front of lions, even if there are several of them.

After ten days, small horns appear in the giraffe (before that, the horns were, as it were, pressed in). He is already quite firmly on his feet. The mother looks for other nearby females with the same babies, and they arrange for their offspring " kindergarten". This is where the danger lies in wait for the kids: each parent begins to rely on the others and her vigilance is dulled. The giraffe runs away from supervision and easily becomes the prey of predators. Only 25-30% of them live up to a year.

EThe giraffe was first called "camelopardalis" ("camel" - camel, "pardis" - leopard) by Europeans, because it resembles a camel (in its manner of movement) and a leopard (due to its spotted color).

The first giraffe was brought to Europe by Gaius Julius Caesar in 46 BC. e .. In modern times, the first giraffe brought was an animal that was brought by the Arabs in 1827. The name of the animal was Zarafa, which in Arabic means "smart". So Zharafa (pronounced in a European manner) gave the species its name. Therefore, today the word "giraffe" in most languages ​​is pronounced almost in Russian.

The giraffe is the tallest animal on earth, with an average height of five meters. The length of one step of a giraffe is 6-8 m.

Giraffes have the largest heart and the highest blood pressure of any land animal. After all, the giraffe's heart pumps blood about 3 meters up the neck to reach the brain! The heart of a giraffe is really huge: it weighs 11 kilograms, has a length of 60 centimeters and a wall 6 centimeters thick.

The giraffe also has the longest tongue of all mammals (50 cm). The tongue of a giraffe is black. A giraffe can clean its ears with its tongue.

The vision of the giraffe is sharper than that of any other African mammal, with the exception of the cheetah. In addition, huge growth allows you to notice objects at a very long distance.

The giraffe's neck has only seven vertebrae, the same number as the human neck. Although the neck of a giraffe exceeds 1.5 m in length, there are only seven cervical vertebrae, like most other mammals, including humans. It's just that each cervical vertebra is greatly elongated.
Although giraffes sometimes sleep lying down, most of the time they are in an upright position and sleep standing up, sometimes placing their head between two branches to keep from falling.

INTERESTING FACTS about giraffes.

The color of each giraffe is unique.
Scientists say that it is impossible to find two identically colored giraffes. The drawings of each animal are strictly individual, unique, characteristic only for him (as well as the drawing on the fingers of a person).

Giraffes are pacers.
Maybe because the front legs of a giraffe are longer than the back ones,the giraffe moves with an amble - that is, alternately brings forward both right legs, then both left ones. Therefore, the running of a giraffe looks like Very clumsily: the hind and front legs are crossed, but the speed reaches 50 km / h! During the gallop, the neck and head of the giraffe sway strongly, writing out, as it were, a figure eight, and the tail either dangles from side to side, or is lifted high and twisted over the back.

There are five-horned giraffes.
Males and females have a pair of short, blunt horns covered with skin on top of their heads. In males, they are more massive and longer - up to 23 cm. Sometimes there is also a third horn, on the forehead, approximately between the eyes; in males it is more common and more developed. Two bone outgrowths in the upper part of the occiput, to which the cervical muscles and ligaments are attached, can also grow strongly, resembling horns in shape, which are called posterior, or occipital. It turns out that in some individuals both three true horns and two rear horns are well developed - that's why they are called "five-horned" giraffes. Many old males generally have the whole head in the "bumps".

A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel.
Giraffes ruminate like cows. They have a four-chambered stomach, and their jaws are constantly chewing cud—partially chewed food that is regurgitated from the first chamber of the stomach for secondary chewing. Giraffes prefer thorny acacias, so the giraffe's mouth is surrounded by a horny layer of skin that protects it from sharp thorns and its saliva, which is very thick, envelops the thorns, which facilitates the act of swallowing.
Often they also feed on other shrubs and grass. Since the food of giraffes is very juicy, they are able to go without water for many weeks, possibly months.

Giraffes silently "talk".

The fact that many animals are able to communicate with the help of sounds not perceived by the human ear has long been known. Dolphins, for example, use ultrasound for this. Giraffes as well as elephants, blue whales and alligators prefer to "chat" in the subsonic range.

In zoos, scientists have recorded many hours of "talk" of giraffes on film. All sounds made by these tall animals have a frequency below 20 hertz and are not audible to humans. That's why giraffes have enjoyed the reputation of being "dumb" for so long.

Research results indicate that in 24 hours giraffes emit several hundred sounds that differ in duration, frequency and amplitude in the infrasonic range. All these differences allow us to talk about the communication of giraffes, and not just consider the sounds they make as noise.
By the way, the opinion that giraffes do not make any audible sounds at all is erroneous. They may roar or bellow loudly in dangerous situations.

Enemies.

Adult giraffes have only two serious enemies - a lion and a man.

Most often, the lion attacks when the giraffe is lying or standing, clumsily bent over - drinking water or nibbling grass. Young giraffes are also preyed upon by other predators, such as leopards and hyenas. If the giraffe fails to escape, it fights back with its feet. A kick with a sharp hoof is so strong that it can decapitate a lion.

Man has long killed giraffes for their meat, tendons (for making strings of bows, ropes and strings of musical instruments), tassels from the tail (for bracelets, fly swatters and threads) and skins (shields, drums, whips, sandals, etc. were made from it .). Uncontrolled hunting has become one of the main reasons for the decline in both the number and distribution of these animals.

The documentary shows a great white shark swimming past caged scuba divers. You freeze in fear, because this is a huge white shark - a healthy, creepy, carnivorous predator! And you know it's big, even huge, but only until you see it in comparison to the poor tiny divers hiding in their cages. Only then do you truly realize the mind-blowing size of this animal!

In fact, most of us don't really know how big some animals are. They don't even have a clue! But don't worry, if this is about you, then today you will see animals that are actually much larger than you think!

The point is that animals are different forms and sizes. Some people use their weight as a determining factor, believing that the heaviest animal automatically becomes the largest. Others believe that the largest animal is the longest, while others under the concept of "largest" mean the height (height) of the animal.

In a word, no matter how we measure animals, there is no doubt that there are animals of incredibly huge sizes! For example, almost everyone knows that blue whale and the African elephant are the largest animals on the planet (so, naturally, they are also included in this list).

But what does it mean? How big are they? How can you compare them to something we are familiar with, such as the size of a football field, a building, or even a bus!

Once you know more about these animals, we think you will have a better idea of ​​their size (and this discovery may shock you). Here are 25 animals that are much more than you think!

25. Great white shark

The great white shark is famous for its frightening size: adults, on average, grow up to 4.6 meters in length, although there were individuals up to 6 meters, weighing up to 1.9 tons. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio can tell about one such close one.

24. Bottlenose dolphin, or big dolphin


Cute, very smart and incredibly friendly, bottlenose dolphins are associated exclusively with goodwill. Seeing on TV or in videos posted on the Internet how they emerge from the water and jump through the rings, performing at shows in water parks, it is quite difficult to imagine their impressive size.

However, the size of bottlenose dolphins can vary between 2-4 meters, and their weight can reach 150-650 kg. If you swim next to these animals, they will be almost twice your size (or even more if you are a short person).

23. Sperm Whale


Sperm whales are considered the largest toothed whales on the planet. Adult males grow up to 17-20 meters in length, reaching a weight of about 40-50 tons, which means that a Boeing 737-800 with a maximum take-off weight of 75 tons will not be able to lift two such animals into the air.

22. Hippo, or common hippopotamus


Hippos are large, obese animals and are the third largest land mammals (after elephants and white rhinos). They grow up to 3.3-5 meters in length, reaching a weight of up to 3 tons. This is the approximate length and weight of the Hummer H2 SUV.

21. Leo


Widely known as the "king of the beasts", an adult lion can weigh over 250kg - almost the weight of two people like wrestler Brock Lesnar.

20. Ostrich

Ostriches are the largest of modern birds. Usually they weigh somewhere between 63-145 kg, almost like two adults, growing up to 2.7 meters in length.
Ostriches are known for their strength and long legs, which help them overcome 3-5 meters in just one step. Their strong paws are also a formidable weapon, since an ostrich can kill a person or even such a large animal as a lion with one blow.

19. Dark tiger python


The dark tiger python is one of the three largest snake species in the animal kingdom. Its length, on average, is 3.7 meters, but in nature there was an individual 5.74 meters long. Yes, this is longer than most of the trees that grow in your area.

18. Liger


A hybrid cross between a lion and a tigress, the liger is the largest known living member of the cat family. The weight of an adult, as a rule, exceeds 300 kg, and the length of the standing on hind legs ligers can reach 3.66-4 meters. To give you an idea of ​​how high this is, let's say that the height of the average one-story house is about 3 meters.

17. Blue or blue whale


With a length of 30 meters and a weight of 180 tons, blue whales are the largest animals living on our planet, and possibly the heaviest of all that have ever existed on Earth, including dinosaurs.

Just for comparison, a blue whale is almost two city buses long and weighing 10 times more. Now every time you see two buses parked side by side, you will remember the blue whale.

16. Fighting bull


Fighting bulls are the bulls involved in the Spanish bullfight. The height of an adult (at the withers) is 1.55 meters. An adult fighting bull weighs between 500-700 kg, almost as much as a Formula 1 car (702 kg) with a racer.

15. Salted crocodile


Saltwater crocodile, also known as saltwater crocodile or man-eating crocodile, belonging to the family of real crocodiles, is the largest reptile on the planet. It is also considered the world's largest terrestrial or coastal predator, at the top of the food chain.

Adult males of medium size reach a length of 5 meters and can weigh almost 450 kg - even a heavyweight, world record holder in powerlifting (430 kg) could not lift one of them. However, some males can reach a length of 7 meters, while weighing almost 2 tons.

14. Grizzly


Most adult female grizzlies weigh around 130-180 kg, while males grow up to 180-360 kg, that is, weighing almost four Leonardo DiCaprio, who weighs 79 kg.

13. Tuna


Tuna is a marine finned fish belonging to the tribe Thunnini, which consists of 15 species belonging to 5 genera. The sizes of representatives of this tribe can vary greatly. The size of the largest of them, common tuna, is 4.6 meters in length and 684 kg of weight. This is more than Jon Brower Minnoch - the heaviest man in the history of mankind, weighing an impressive 635 kilograms.

12. White or polar bear


Polar bears are large carnivores that live in cold climates (within the Arctic Circle).

The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 1,000 kg. On average, polar bears can reach 3 meters in height, standing on their hind legs. This is taller than the tallest man in human history (Robert Wadlow), whose height was 2.72 meters.

11. Common wolf

The common wolf is one of the largest currently existing members of its family. Males, on average, weigh 43-45 kg, and females - 36-39 kg.

Wolves are also known for their huge appetite: they can eat 9 kg of food in one sitting. This is more than the average family of 8-10 people can eat during Sunday lunch.

10 Japanese Spider Crab


An adult giant Japanese spider crab can reach 4 meters in paw span, 45 cm in carapace length and weigh 20 kg.

Japanese spider crabs are considered the largest arthropods, known to man. To give you an idea of ​​their enormous size, let's say that the average American compact sedan is 4.27 meters long. This crab can grab almost the entire car with its claws.

9. Tiger


On average, the length of the body of these predatory animals varies between 1.5-2.9 meters, and their weight varies from 75 to 325 kilograms.

The largest tigers, the Amur or Siberian tigers, can reach a length of 3.3 meters and weigh 300 kg. Just think for a moment: a tiger is over 8 times heavier than the average family dog ​​(using a Labrador as an example).

8 Spotted Hyena


Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three hyena species. The remaining two species are brown and striped hyenas. Adult individuals reach 1.3 meters in length, while weighing 40-64 kg.

The spotted hyena is known for its proportionately large heart, accounting for 1% of its body weight, which gives these animals great endurance during a long chase.

7. Giraffe

Thanks to their long legs and neck, giraffes are the tallest mammals on our planet. Only the leg of a giraffe is much longer than the average height of a man (177 cm). Adults weigh 900-1200 kg and reach a height of 5.5-6.1 meters - it's almost like a two-story building!

6. Moose


The elk is the largest species of the deer family. Males are easily recognizable by their huge horns, the span of which reaches 1.83 meters.

The size of the moose is very easy to underestimate, however, adults in any case can reach 2.3 meters at the withers. If a person with a height of 1.83 meters stands next to an elk, then the animal will rise above him by several tens of centimeters.

5 African Elephant


African elephants are the largest land animals on earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian counterparts. The largest African elephant ever recorded measured 4 meters at the shoulder and weighed over 10 tons. Adjusted one way or another, but it's almost 5 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs.

4. Owl


The eagle owl, which lives in most of the territory of Eurasia, is one of the largest representatives of the order of owls. Females grow up to 75 cm in length with a wingspan of 188 cm. Males are slightly smaller in size.

3. Medusa Nomura


Medusa Nomura - very large

Our world is truly amazing. It is full of beings big and small, low and high. Today we bring you an unusually interesting selection. It contains photographs of the fifteen largest animals in the world, broken down into different categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, etc. Some of these animals are real giants!

1. The largest animal in the world is the blue (or blue) whale.
The blue whale, also called the blue whale or vomit (Balaenoptera musculus), is marine mammals, which belongs to the order of cetaceans to the suborder of baleen whales. At 30 meters (98 ft) long and 180 metric tons or more in weight, it is the largest of the known to science animals that have ever lived on our planet. The tongue of a blue whale can weigh up to about 2.7 tons (5,952 pounds), which is about the weight of a medium-sized Asian elephant. The blue whale's heart weighs about 600 kilograms (1,300 pounds) and is the largest such organ of any living creature. The heart of a blue whale is not only the size of a small car, but it also weighs about the same as the mentioned car. And the lung capacity of a blue whale exceeds 3,000 liters.

2. The blue whale is thought to feed almost exclusively on small shrimp-like creatures known as krill.

3. The basis of the diet of the blue whale is plankton. Thanks to their baleen sieving apparatus, the blue whale can consume a whopping 3.6 metric tons (7,900 pounds) or more daily during the summer months.

4. This means that it can eat up to 40 million krill per day, while the daily calorie requirement of an adult blue whale is in the region of 1.5 million. kcal.

6. The largest land animal in the world: African elephant. The African elephant is the largest land animal. Male African elephants are 6 to 7.5 meters (19.7 to 24.6 ft) long, 3.3 m (10.8 ft) tall at the withers, and can weigh up to 6 tons (13,000 lb). Female African elephants are much smaller, averaging 5.4 to 6.9 m (17.7 to 22.6 ft) long, 2.7 meters (8.9 ft) high at the withers, and weighing up to reach 3 tons (6600 pounds). Adult African elephants generally have no enemies in their natural environment habitats due to their extremely large size, but baby elephants (especially newborns) are one of the favorite prey species for bloodthirsty attacks by lions or crocodiles, and are also often attacked by leopards or hyenas. According to the latest data, in the wild, the population of African elephants ranges from 500 to 600 thousand individuals.

7. The tallest land animal in the world: the giraffe.

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African mammal from the artiodactyl order of the giraffidae family. It is the tallest land animal in the world. its height averages 5–6 meters (16–20 ft). Male giraffes have an average weight of 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb), while females can weigh around 830 kilograms (1,800 lb). A distinguishing characteristic of the giraffe is its very long neck, which can reach over 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) in length. Actually, the neck accounts for almost half of the vertical height of the animal. The long neck is the result of a disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, not an increase in the number of vertebrae, of which the giraffe, like almost all other mammals, has only seven.

8. largest predator in the world: Southern elephant seal.
The southern elephant seal is the largest carnivore on our planet. The size of the southern elephant seal is evidence of extreme sexual dimorphism, the most significant of any mammal, as male southern elephant seals are typically five to six times heavier than females. While females can average 400 to 900 kilograms (880 to 2,000 lb) and be 2.6 to 3 meters (8.5 to 9.8 ft) long, southern elephant seal males average approximately 2,200 to 4,000 kg (4,900 to 8,800 lb) and can reach 4.5 to 5.8 meters (15 to 19 ft) in length. The record-breaking southern elephant seal, shot at Possession Bay, South Georgia on February 28, 1913, measured 6.85 meters (22.5 feet) in length and is estimated to have weighed approximately 5,000 kilograms (11,000 pounds).
Southern marines can dive multiple times while hunting, staying submerged for more than twenty minutes each time, tracking their prey, squid and fish, at depths of 400 to 1,000 meters (1,300 to 3,300 ft). The documented record for the longest time underwater for a juvenile elephant seal was approximately two hours. The maximum depth to which southern elephant seals can dive is over 1,400 meters (4,600 ft).

9. The largest land predator in the world: Polar bear and Kodiak bear.

The world's largest terrestrial predators are the white polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and the Kodiak brown bear (Ursus arctos). If with white polar bear everything is more or less clear, the Kodiak bear is less known.

10. Kodiak is a subspecies of brown bears that are found on Kodiak Island and other islands of the Kodiak archipelago off the southern coast of Alaska. Since the polar polar bear and the Kodiak brown bear have approximately the same body size, it is not clear which of them actually ranks first in size. In both species, the height at the withers is over 1.6 meters (5.2 ft), and the total body length can reach 3.05 m (10.0 ft). Absolute weight record for polar and brown bear amounted to 1003 kg (2210 pounds) and 1135 kg (2500 pounds) respectively.

11. The largest reptile in the world: Saltwater (combed or spongy) crocodile.
Saltwater crocodile(Crocodylus porosus), is the largest of all reptiles currently existing in the world. The habitat of combed crocodiles is from Northern Australia to Southeast Asia and the east coast of India. An adult male saltwater crocodile can weigh between 409 and 1,000 kilograms (900–2,200 lb) and is typically 4.1 to 5.5 meters (13–18 ft) long. However, males can exceed 6 meters (20 ft) in length and sometimes weigh over 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). Saltwater crocodile is the only crocodile species that regularly reaches a length of 4.8 m (16 ft) and even exceeds this mark. The saltwater crocodile is an active predator that feeds mainly on insects, mollusks, amphibians, crustaceans, small reptiles and fish. However, it attacks almost any animal that is in its territory, either in water or on land. The crocodile always drags the victim, which he watches over on land, into the water, where it is more difficult for her to resist him.

12. The largest amphibian in the world: the Chinese giant salamander.
The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is the largest salamander in the world. Separate individuals of the Chinese giant salamander can reach a length of 180 centimeters (6 feet), although at present such giants are extremely rare. This species is endemic to mountain rivers and lakes in China. One of the conditions necessary for the survival of the Chinese giant salamander is clean and very cold water.

13. To date, this species is considered endangered due to habitat destruction, pollution environment and targeted destruction, as giant amphibian meat is considered a delicacy and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.

14. Largest rabbit / hare in the world: "Belgian flandre". The Belgian Flemish is an ancient breed of domesticated rabbit that originates from the Flemish region.

15. They were first bred back in the sixteenth century in the vicinity of the city of Ghent, Belgium. Belgian Flemish rabbits can weigh up to 12.7 kilograms (28 pounds).

16. Biggest bat in the world: a giant golden flying fox. In the photo: a giant golden flying fox. Spectacled flying fox.

The largest of all bat species is the giant golden flying fox (Acerodon jubatus), an endangered species bats from rainforest Philippines, which is part of the fruit bat family. The basis of the diet of giant golden flying foxes is fruits. Weight Limit giant golden flying foxes can be 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), they can be up to 55 centimeters (22 in) long and have a wingspan of almost 1.8 meters (5.9 ft). The giant flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) is inferior to the golden flying fox in terms of body weight and length, but is ahead of it in wingspan. Scientists have recorded individuals with a wingspan ranging from 1.83 meters (6.0 feet) to 2 meters (6.6 feet).

17. The largest rodent in the world: capybara.
The largest rodent in existence today is the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), a species that is found along the shores of various bodies of water in the tropical and temperate parts of Central and South America, east of the Andes - from Panama to Uruguay to the northeast of Argentina. One of the main conditions for the existence of capybaras is the presence of a nearby reservoir.

18. The largest specimens of capybaras can reach 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and 0.9 meters (3.0 feet) in height at the withers. They can weigh up to 105.4 kg (232 lb). This is a very active species. Capybaras are social animals that live in groups of up to a hundred individuals, but the average number of one colony is 10-20 individuals on average.

19. Largest bony fish in the world: common moonfish (sunfish, headfish).

Osteichthyes, also called "bony fish", are a taxonomic group of fish that have bony, not cartilaginous, skeletons. The vast majority of fish belong to the species Osteichthyes. This is an extremely diverse and numerous group, which consists of more than 29,000 species. This is the most numerous class of vertebrates that currently exists.

20. The largest representative of bony fish is the widespread common moonfish (sunfish, fishhead) or Mola Mola. She has an extremely strange body shape - it is laterally compressed, very high and short, which gives the fish an outlandish appearance and a shape similar to a disk. In fact, it does not have a body as such - a sunfish is literally a "head with a tail." A mature Common Fishhead has an average length of 1.8 meters (5.9 ft), a width from fin to fin of up to 2.5 meters (8.2 ft), and an average weight of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). However, scientists have recorded individuals that can be up to 3.3 meters (10.8 feet) long and 4.2 meters (14 feet) across. The weight of such giants can reach 2,300 kilograms (5,100 pounds).

21. largest lizard/ snake in the world: giant green anaconda.

The giant anaconda, sometimes also called the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), is a species of snake in the boa subfamily. It lives in the tropical part of South America east of the Andes, Paraguay, Northern Bolivia, French Guiana. The maximum recorded body length is 7.5 meters (25 feet), and the maximum recorded weight reaches 250 kilograms (550 pounds), although there are rumors of much larger green anacondas. The reticulated python (Python reticulatus) from Southeast Asia is longer in body length but thinner, and members of this species have been reported to reach a maximum of 9.7 meters (32 ft) in length.

22. The world's largest bird: ostrich.

ostrich, most large bird on our planet (Struthio Camelus), is found on the territory of the plains of Africa and Arabia. The scientific name of the ostrich in Greek means "camel sparrow". A large male ostrich can reach a height of 2.8 meters (9.2 feet), and weigh over 156 kilograms (345 pounds). Ostrich eggs can weigh up to 1.4 kilograms (3 lb) and are the largest bird eggs in the world. modern world. Ostriches can develop top speed up to 97.5 km/h (60.6 mph), making the ostrich the fastest bird on earth and the fastest bipedal creature in the world.

The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the Pelican family. The habitat of curly pelicans is a significant area from Southeast Europe to India and China. Dalmatian pelicans inhabit swamps and shallow lakes. It is the largest of the pelicans, averaging 160-180 centimeters (63-70 inches) in length, and weighing 11-15 kilograms (24-33 pounds). The wingspan of the curly pelican is just over 3 meters (10 ft). An average weight of 11.5 kilograms (25 lb) makes the Dalmatian Pelican the heaviest flying bird. Although a large male bustard or swan may exceed the pelican in maximum weight.

24. The largest arthropod in the world: Japanese spider crab.

The Japanese spider crab is a type of sea crab that lives in the waters off the coast of Japan. In the span of the first pair of legs, it reaches 3.8 meters (12 feet), and can weigh up to 41 pounds (19 kilograms).

26. In its natural habitat, the Japanese spider crab feeds on shellfish and animal carcasses and can live up to 100 years.

GIRAFFE
(Giraffa camelopardalis)- the tallest of modern animals. A mammal of the artiodactyl order, common in sub-Saharan Africa, where the species usually inhabits savannahs with sparsely standing trees and shrubs.

Dimensions. The giraffe is the fourth largest land animal; only the elephant, the hippopotamus and the rhinoceros are larger than the giraffe. The largest males reach a height of 5.9 m to the crown and 3.7 m at the withers with a weight of approx. 2 t (average approx. 5.2 m, 3 m and approx. 1 t). Females are smaller on average: about 4.4 m to the crown, 2.7 m at the withers and weighing 600 kg. The tail of a giraffe, approximately 1 m long, ends in a tassel of black hair.
Wool cover. The skin of a giraffe is densely covered with small and large spots from brown to almost black, which are separated by narrow yellowish or whitish intervals. The shape of the spots is irregular, with smooth or jagged edges, but on the body of each individual, as a rule, they are of the same type. A stiff dark brown mane about 12 cm high grows on the neck.
Neck skeleton. Although the neck of a giraffe exceeds 1.5 m in length, there are only seven cervical vertebrae, like most other mammals, including humans. However, each cervical vertebrae is greatly elongated; in addition, the first thoracic (following the cervical) vertebra is also modified and is very similar to the cervical.
Blood pressure. High blood pressure is required to keep blood from the heart going up to the brain. When the animal's head is raised, this pressure at the level of the brain is the same as in other large mammals. However, when the head is lowered, the pressure in it could dangerously increase if the giraffe's brain were not protected by special vascular formations. There are two of them, and both are located at the base of the skull: here the blood pressure is extinguished in the "wonderful network" (rete mirabile) of thin intertwining vessels, and the valves in the veins allow blood to pass only in one direction (to the heart), preventing it from flowing back to the brain.
Horns. Males and females have a pair of short, blunt horns covered with skin on top of their heads. In males, they are more massive and longer - up to 23 cm. Sometimes there is also a third horn, on the forehead, approximately between the eyes; in males it is more common and more developed. Two bone outgrowths in the upper part of the occiput, to which the cervical muscles and ligaments are attached, can also grow strongly, resembling horns in shape, which are called posterior, or occipital. In some individuals, usually in older males, both the three true horns and the two posterior horns are well developed; they are called "five-horned" giraffes. Sometimes in old males, other bone outgrowths are observed on the skull.
Allures. Giraffes have two main gaits: walk and gallop. In the first case, the animal moves at an amble, i.e. alternately bringing two legs forward, first on one side, then on the other side of the body. The gallop looks awkward; the hind and front legs cross at the same time, but the speed reaches 56 km / h. During the gallop, the neck and head of the giraffe sway strongly, writing out, as it were, a figure eight, and the tail either dangles from side to side, or is lifted high and twisted over the back. The giraffe has sharper vision than any other African mammal, with the possible exception of the cheetah. In addition, huge growth allows you to notice objects at a very long distance.
Food and water. Giraffes are ruminants, like cows. They have a four-chambered stomach, and their jaws are constantly chewing cud—partially chewed food that is regurgitated from the first chamber of the stomach for secondary chewing. The diet of the giraffe consists almost entirely of young shoots of trees and shrubs. Apparently, he prefers thorny acacias, but often also feeds on mimosas, wild apricots and some shrubs, and, if necessary, can eat fresh grass. Giraffes can go without water for many weeks, possibly months.
Activity. Giraffes are diurnal animals, most active in the early morning and evening. They wait out the peak of the heat of the day, either standing with their neck down or their head resting on a tree branch, or lying down, usually with their neck and head up, to watch for danger. Giraffes sleep at night, but only for a few minutes in a row; the duration of deep sleep in total, apparently, does not exceed 20 minutes per night. A sleeping giraffe lies with its neck bent so that its head rests on the underside of its hind limb.
Social behavior and territoriality. Giraffes usually live alone (especially older males) or in small loosely formed groups of two to ten animals, less often in larger herds of up to 70 individuals. Herds can be mixed (males, females, young), bachelor (only young or only mature males), or consist of females and young. The vocalization of giraffes is typical for large herbivores - from snorting and lowing to grunting and roaring. Except for migratory routes, the area of ​​a giraffe's individual range, i.e. the area in which it regularly grazes varies from about 23 to 163 km2, depending on the locality.
Fights. Giraffes are extremely peaceful and even timid animals, but males fight among themselves for leadership, and animals of both sexes come to grips with predators if they cannot escape from them. Within each population, the relationships of adult males are built hierarchically. Hierarchy is maintained through fighting or threatening postures, such as lowering the neck to an almost horizontal position, as if the animal is preparing to butt a rival. When fighting, two or more males stand side by side, facing the same or opposite directions, and swing their necks like giant hammers, trying to hit each other. The fight is often ritualized and does not harm the participants, but sometimes, especially if several males compete for a female ready for mating, it can end in a real knockout. When fighting a predator, the giraffe either slashes down with its front legs or kicks with its hind legs. The giraffe's hooves are very large - the diameter of the front reaches 23 cm. It is known that giraffes killed even attacking lions with a hoof blow.
Enemies. The only serious enemy of adult giraffes (except for humans) is the lion. Most often, he attacks when the giraffe lies or stands, awkwardly bent over, drinking water or nibbling grass. Young giraffes are also preyed upon by other predators, such as leopards and hyenas. Man has long killed giraffes for their meat, tendons (for making strings of bows, ropes and strings of musical instruments), tassels from the tail (for bracelets, fly swatters and threads) and skins (shields, drums, whips, sandals, etc. were made from it .). Uncontrolled hunting has become one of the main reasons for the decline in both the number and distribution of these animals.
Reproduction. giraffes breed all year round, but tend to mate most intensely during the rainy season, such as March. Pregnancy lasts 15 months (457 days), and therefore the largest number of cubs are born in the dry season, i.e. around May to August. Females usually give birth to one calf about every 20-23 months for about 15 years. During childbirth, the mother bends her hind legs; when a calf falls from a height to the ground, the umbilical cord breaks. Newborn, approx. 2 m to the crown and weighing approx. 55 kg, able to get up in an hour, and often 10 minutes after birth. It sucks milk up to 13 months, but begins to pluck leaves at the age of two weeks. Usually the calf stays with the mother for another 2-5 months after the end of feeding. The mortality of young animals is high - up to 68% of calves die in the first year of life. Female giraffes reach sexual maturity at 3.5 years of age and reach their maximum size by 5 years; males mature at 4.5 years of age and are fully grown by seven. In nature, the average life expectancy is 6 years, and the maximum is approx. 26. The longevity record in captivity is 36 years.
Classification and evolutionary history. The giraffe and the okapi (Okapia johnstoni) are the only modern members of the giraffidae family (Giraffidae). It appeared in Central Asia in the early or middle Miocene, i.e. about 15 million years ago, and spread from there to the territory of Europe and Africa. The oldest remains of the modern giraffe were found in Israel and Africa and date back to the early Pleistocene, i.e. their age is approx. 1.5 million years. The range of the modern giraffe has greatly decreased as a result of human hunting and anthropogenic environmental changes. The species was found in northern Africa (in Morocco) 1400 years ago, and in many areas in the west and south of the continent it was exterminated only in the last century. There are usually nine geographical races, or subspecies, distributed from Mali in the west to Somalia in the east and South Africa in the south.

Collier Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

See what "GIRAFFE" is in other dictionaries:

giraffe- a, m. GIRAFFA s, f. girafe f. 1. Giraffe (giraffe), a two-hoofed animal .. with a low back and an incongruously long neck. Dal. We can show up in cities like giraffes or besiege: it's no joke to see four Russian writers. 19. 4. 1828. P. A. ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), a mammal of the family. giraffe. The body is short, the neck is very long (but there are 7 cervical vertebrae, like in most mammals), body height up to 5.5 m, weight up to 1000 kg (males are larger than females). Sharp fluctuations in blood ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

Giraffe, cameleopard, okapi Dictionary of Russian synonyms. giraffe n., number of synonyms: 8 animal (277) giraffe ... Synonym dictionary

- (lat. Camelopardalis) circumpolar constellation of the Northern Hemisphere ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Camelopardalis), the constellation of the northern part of the sky. Its brightest star, Beta, has a magnitude of 4.0. This constellation includes the star cluster NGC 1502, which can be seen with binoculars ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

Dictionary Ushakov

GIRAFFE, giraffe, male, and GIRAFFE, giraffes, female. (French girafe) (zool.). A ruminant with a very long neck and very long legs, with sandy hair yellow color found in tropical Africa. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935… … Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

There are many amazing animals on our planet. It is inhabited by both small and large, long and short, low and high inhabitants. wildlife. And each species is unique in its own way.

The greatest admiration is caused by the largest animals. Some modern representatives of the fauna related to mammals reach truly amazing sizes. We will talk about them in this article.

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest mammal on earth.. The weight of an adult is on average 120 tons with a body length of more than 26 meters. The heart of this mammal weighs about 700 kilograms, and the tongue - 2 tons. The stomach of a whale reaches three meters in length. Whales have children to match: a newly born whale reaches 8 meters in length and weighs 6 tons.

If a human child adds tens and hundreds of grams to its weight per day, then the calf becomes heavier by a centner per day, and after two years it is compared in height with the parent.

big animals

African bush elephant

Walks on earth large mammal- African bush elephant. This elephant grows 4.5 meters long, 3.7 meters high and weighs 6 tons. The Asian or Indian elephant is slightly smaller, growing to only 3 meters.

There are some differences between these two types of elephants: the African elephant has a short body, and huge ears, a thin trunk, at the end of which there are two peculiar fingers, and not one, like the Indian elephant.

The African elephant can boast of its tusks, which are much longer and stronger than those of other brethren. African elephant females also have tusks, while Indian elephant females have small or no tusks. The Indian elephant has long been tamed by man and serves him as a pet. Despite its large size, the elephant can be neat and cautious. It will not harm small children playing nearby. This smart animal understands commands well and obeys the owner of any age, even a teenager.

Rhinos

Rhinos are also large animals. The African white rhinoceros can surprise with its size. It has a body length of 5 meters, its height at the withers is 2 meters. The view of the rhinoceros is awesome, because it has 2 horns on its head, one of them reaches 1 meter in length. These huge animals live in South Africa. They are protected because their numbers are small. African black rhinos are much more numerous. These rhinos grow up to 3.5 meters and are 1.5 meters high. In India, there is a peaceful neighborhood of rhinos and elephants. These animals are close to each other, do not cause aggression of each other.

The next big mammal can be considered a hippopotamus. It has a body length of 4.5 meters, grows up to 1.5 in height. Hippos have excellent hearing. They spend the whole day under water, leaving only their nostrils outside. At first glance, it seems that the hippopotamus is clumsy. This animal is quite shy and can quickly catch on and hit the run. In an angry state, the hippopotamus is very dangerous, especially if he has cubs.

giraffes

Not quite large, but tall animals include giraffes. The height of this animal reaches 6 meters. The body is 2.5 meters long. Works up the weight of such an instance up to half a ton. These tall mammals live in the savannas. Since they feed on the foliage of trees, their tongue is quite long - 45 cm.

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