That’s why zoos have made African wildlife, such as the giraffe, a staple. The need for giraffe ambassadors has become even more prevalent since their wild relatives are on the decline. Giraffes can eat a staggering 60kg (140lb) of twigs and leaves in just one day! The amount of food required for the giraffe to maintain its weight means it spends between 16 and 20 hours eating each day. But why do they have such long necks? This is French, the author behind the animal article you have just stumbled upon. It has distinctive, irregular, jagged, star-like blotches that extend to the hooves. How to Eat a Giraffe 4 September 2010 The Johannesburg Department of Wildlife are concerned that people do not know quite how to eat a giraffe properly so they have produced this rather interesting short animation to give people all the information they need in order to purchase, euthanize and eat a giraffe correctly. This means that they don’t have to compete for food. of leaves and twigs a day. Unlike the savanna, this biome contains more of a giraffe’s favorite meal. Posted by Gino, over 1 year ago Hi Gino, Thank you for your interesting question. African Journal of Ecology: Grazing Behaviour of the Giraffe in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, Giraffe: Biology, Behaviour and Conservation; Anne Innis Dagg, BioWeb, University of Wisconsin: Nutrition, Cleveland State University: The Effects of Increased Hay-Grain Ratio on Masai Giraffe Behavior, Health Indicators and Fecal Microflora Diversity. It eats quite a lot and can eat up to 30 kg of food per day. Their tongue is also very tough to withstand thorns that may be on the plants they are eating. Fortunately, these animals only have to drink every couple of days. It is rare to see a solo giraffe grazing in this manner; this behavior is typically only seen in groups, which provide more safety. Until then, the mother will pull foliage down for the infant. How Do Giraffes Hunt? Copyright © 2021 animalfoodplanet | Trellis Framework by Mediavine. 1. He eats a lot and can eat up to 30 kilograms of food a day. If you were to compare the spots of one giraffe to another, you’d see a difference, even if they were the same species. Another theory is that it keeps them cooler. Over short distances, giraffes can run at speeds up to 35 mph. Giraffes are almost constantly eating: approximately 15 hours a day. African explorers have also documented these animals eating fruit on occasion. Acacia leaves contain a good amount of water, so giraffes do not need to drink very often. At the San Diego Zooand the San Diego ZooSafari Park, giraffes eata variety of fresh acacia leaves hung high in artificial food “trees,” as well as hay, carrots, and low-starch, high-fiber biscuits. There are about 8,500 wild existing individuals. It is however important not to over-feed giraffes on carrots only since they need a versatile diet to remain healthy. It is native to East Africa. This tongue is not only dexterous but thickly lined to ward off the potential pricks of Acacia thorns. Since they tend to eat more in the morning and evening when it is cooler, they spend the heat of the day chewing on their cud. 2. Evergreen trees tend to also be a favorite meal during this season to avoid fatigue as they contain more nutrients. This difference may help explain how females can produce young even in the dry season when food is not as plentiful. They are most commonly recognized for their reticulated or divided, spots that take on a darker red hue. They forage from trees, bushes and shrubs, and occasionally dine on grass. Giraffes mainly eat the flowers, twigs, and leaves off of trees and shrubs such as Acacia, apricot and mimosa trees. There are about 2,000 individuals found in zoos today, each of which has to be given the proper nutrition. Another species of giraffe, the Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi), is a bit different from the Reticulated giraffe in relation to their pattern. Saliva Once a baby giraffe is born, it relies upon the milk of its mother to become strong. Her work has also appeared on LetsGetOutside.us and Happy Science Mom. It’s true that they do overlap though there are a few differences. These trees have long thorns mixed in with the leaves that deter other animals, but giraffes are able to use their long tongues (measuring 18 to 20 inches) to maneuver around the thorns. Giraffe are predominantly browsers and mainly eat leaves and buds on trees and shrubs. Giraffes are also equipped with a leathery mouth for added protection. Being born in Africa, giraffes have to watch out for a number of threats. Giraffes are herbivores, which means they eat only plants. When dry seasons hit, giraffes will migrate large distances in search for food. While acacia leaves are a staple in their diet, they also eat the flowers when they are in season. Their extreme height allows them to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach. The Miombo woodlands, in particular, extend across south-central Africa, Angola, and Tanzania in a belt-like range. The proportion of grass in their diet is very low. Still, their diet does extend well beyond the more commonly eaten plants just mentioned. Individuals found among the tropical savannas of Africa will roam until they find Baobab, Candelabra, and Whistling thorn trees. Being such a large animal can put you at a disadvantage, especially when on the African continent where predators rule the plains. The Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) is one of the better-known species of giraffe. One unusual adaptation that giraffes possess is their saliva. However, please remember that their diet is not limited to the previously mentioned types of food. Once striking gold, these browsers will consume the shoots, bark, leaves, flowers, and buds off of these plants. In addition to Acacia foliage, captive giraffes are often fed nutrient-rich foods including carrots, hay, grain, and fruits. Giraffes are fed a variety of fruits, vegetables and leaves in captivity, although each zoo offers a slightly different menu to these tall mammals. How many giraffes are in captivity? Even Africa has wet seasons, allowing for plant restoration. In fact, they can go days without drinking water at all. The reason for this answer is because in the wild, giraffes tend to eat not only leaves and twigs of acacia, but also leaves and twigs of mimosa and wild apricot trees. The flowers have more tannin, but also twice the protein. Most animals in Africa are unable to get to Acacia in the first place. Since giraffes are basically herbivores, they feed on a variety of shrubs, flowers, leaves, twigs, even in spite of thorns present. In fact, types of snails and slugs only comprise 5% of a hedgehog’s diet ! Color variations between the species depend on their habitat as well as their food source. This animal also has stripes on its legs, though it is the only other living member to belong to the family Giraffidae. In fact, these animals used to live all over Africa, but now their range is limited to the dryer areas. When protected, giraffes can flourish in areas where food is abundant year round. Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up; they even sleep and give birth standing up. The savanna can be described as an area with grassy plains and a few scattered trees. Types of Food The most important food for this animal is the acacia tree. They even eat some fruit. Cows in particular select high-energy low-fibre items. In the Serengeti, it has been noted that females tend to choose more herbs than males, with the female giraffe diet being richer in nutrients while the male giraffe diet is higher in fiber and lignin. These articles are a way to help others relate to these animals, thus raising awareness. Pressure sensors along the neck’s arteries monitor the blood pressure and activate contraction of the artery walls (along with other mechanisms) to counter this increase in pressure. This species takes refuge near Kenya and Tanzania. They are also referred to as browsers, choosing to eat from food that is higher up such as tall trees. While leaves make up the majority of the giraffe diet (more than 90 percent in the wild), the animals do sometimes graze on grasses. In particular, they seek out acacia trees. It shares a similar body shape with horn-like appendages on the top of its head. They can also be seen occasionally consuming fruits and grasses. Scientists have identified nine subspecies of giraffe that live in different areas and are differentiated by their different patterns. You may feed the Giraffe a wild beet every 20 seconds when you approach their face. Other predators include hyenas and leopards. They pluck the buds, fruit, and leaves of these trees with prehensile upper lips and long tongues that can be extended up to eighteen inches (45 cm). Some think that it is to help them blend in amongst the trees and shrubbery. In the wild, giraffes will eat fruits they find on trees. What does a giraffe eat in the wild? This is due to the fact that they can reach a staggering 5.5 meters in height for this tree, perfect for the giraffe. These herbivores are found throughout Africa where food is not always available. Being herbivores, the giraffe browses among mostly trees and shrubs to eat a variety of leaves, fruits, flowers, shoots, bark, and sometimes even grass. Though hedgehogs are able to eat a wide variety of animals, they don’t eat as many slugs as you might think. It would be unlikely that giraffe would eat black wattle for two main reasons: 1. She can be found at www.kimberlyyavorski.com. Their long neck and very long tongue is useful in picking the best twigs and leaves of very tall tress. Those iconic large trees that you find in the African savanna and grasslands are not quite the most desired by browsing wildlife, but the giraffe is well equipped for this plant. This is to mimic the tall trees found in the wild. In the wild, the typical giraffe diet is almost exclusively leaves, and the animal eats up to 75 pounds of them a day. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. They can also be seen occasionally consuming fruits and grasses. It’s actually the opposite. The survival of the young is dependent on how quickly they can walk. If you have any questions about biology, wildlife, botany, or any other science, feel free to ask! Coating their mouth in this healing agent is key to eating on the unforgiving Acacia, especially with all of those thorns. They are also a darker shade of tan or brown. You know they're tall—the tallest mammals in the world, in fact—but here are 20 other fun facts about these leggy herbivores. So how does a giraffe forage through this prickly plant? Eating plants will temporarily replenish a giraffe so that it doesn’t have to take as many risks. Their long necks allow them to reach leaves, seeds, fruits, buds and branches high up in mimosa and acacia trees. Well, that is exactly what the woodlands are. Their favorite trees to snack on are acacia and mimosa trees. In most approaches, the Giraffe will swing his neck and try to headbutt you. With the challenges of varying seasons and predation, wild giraffes tend to survive a total of 20 to 25 years. Giraffes sure love their Acacia, whether if it’s in the form of twigs, flowers, bark or leaves. Adult giraffes are able to protect themselves through the use of their strong back legs and broad hooves. Standing up to 19 feet tall, the giraffe has little competition for food; it can easily graze from high treetops that other animals can’t reach. Acacia branches have thorns, which act like barbed wire covering their leaves. When water is plentiful (for example in captivity), they can drink up to 10 gallons a day. Once again, giraffes will survive off of leaves, fruits, flowers, bark and buds associated with these trees. What do giraffes eat? There are a couple of theories as to why these long-necked animals have spots in the first place. These animals can be found near the Horn of Africa. WHAT DO GIRAFFES EAT? Giraffes only need to drink once every several days because they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat. Tier 3 Taming Taming a Giraffe can be tricky because of their long, cleaving horizontal attacks while they are trapped in a bola. Because of this, they are known to eat an expansive collection of plants, over 100 in fact. You may have noticed the length of their tongue. You may picture Africa as being a desolate savanna with hardly any trees, but that is not always the case. It should be noted that hedgehogs can live in many different types of climates, but this does not have a huge effect on their overall nutritional diet. Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb.) But, like drinking from a watering hole, this presents a challenge. The Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii), also spelled Maasai giraffe, also called Kilimanjaro giraffe, is the largest subspecies of giraffe. They may look similar at first, but each pattern is unique. Giraffes won’t eat the entire bones but rather chew them for sometimes until the nutrients are extracted and spit them out. Giraffes are known to adapt to the various seasons. The giraffe uses a variety of tricks to get past them. In fact, education is among the most important ways that we can save future wildlife. This species of giraffe is seen in a wide variety of habitats across the northeastern parts of Africa. On average, a single giraffe will eat about 35 kilograms of plant material in a day. What does a Giraffe eat? A longtime student of the life sciences, she served as a leader for Girl Scouts and 4H, sharing her interests by teaching children and teens about natural and environmental science and animal anatomy. This works to their benefit since their 6-foot legs and 6-foot neck make it difficult to bend down to reach water sources, making them vulnerable to predators. A fun fact about baby giraffes is their ability to run with the herd merely 10 hours after birth. To keep their energy lifted, giraffes will consume a different spikey plant, the Prickly pear. Within an hour, it is up on its feet and nursing from its mother. They chew up and swallow the leaves, which form a ball and travel back up the throat. These animals are long in every aspect of the word with a tongue that is around 46 centimeters. The tall animals eat these plants as they are easy to reach. In the wild, giraffes tend to drink in groups, taking turns watching for predators. Although the acacia tree is prickly enough, giraffes can easily avoid them with their flexible and long tongue. Accompanied by chilly mornings and nights, this makes it challenging for wildlife to survive. Like a cow, giraffes lack upper front teeth and instead have a lump of tough tissue against which the lower incisors pinch their food as they eat (see picture of a cow's dental pad at right). Giraffes are avid eaters when food is plentiful. Among the common items offered to giraffes are lettuces, carrots, apples, bananas and alfalfa hay. Giraffes love to eat twigs of plants and will also eat plant leaves. There are four giraffe species currently known, each of which inhabits a different geographic region. A fun tongue fact is that these animals use the color of their tongue to protect themselves from sunburns as they use this body part to forage throughout the day. What do Giraffes Eat? The giraffe is a herbivore, meaning that it only feeds on different types of plants. It takes about six months for a baby giraffe to begin reaching these plants. The Masai giraffe can be found in central and southern Kenya and in Tanzania. Measuring around 4 to 6 meters, giraffes are able to reach their favorite meals. Posted on Published: June 9, 2019 Categories Mammalia. Giraffes are more than able to consume a number of plants that have thorns, but what about cacti? With such a long neck, you would think that reaching down would be easy. Kimberly Yavorski is a freelance writer with a passion for learning, especially about nature, outdoors and the natural sciences. Both in the wild and in captivity, giraffes show a preference for the leaves of the acacia tree. Hello everybody! The lion is the most frequent threat as they hunt in groups. The tongue and inside of the mouth are coated with tough tissue as protection. And they also show individual food preferences. Giraffes can range in color from almost white to almost black, and while the specific patterns vary by species, all have the characteristic splotches that resemble leaves (or in the case of the reticulated giraffe, which has a dark coat, a web of white lines). GIRAFFE’S KNOW THE ACACIA TRICK. Giraffes do eat carrots and they do quite like the taste of these vegetables. How Much Does a Rothschild's Giraffe Eat? Regardless of their living circumstances, giraffes spend the majority of their day eating. You may already know that Africa has a winter season, but did you know that this is the warmest time of the year? If the thorn is still swallowed, it will not harm him. They prefer to consume what is in the trees including twigs and leaves but also consume a variety of fruits that seasonally grow in the trees. To eat, a giraffe takes a branch in its mouth and tears off the leaves by pulling its head away. To reach the ground, they must spread their legs far apart and bend at the knee to reach food on the ground. They can eat hundreds of pounds of leaves per week, according to National Geographic.Though these animals eat a lot, giraffes can go without drinking for weeks at a time. While drinking, they are vulnerable to lurking predators. Individuals found in zoos have been known to live longer than their wild counterparts at about 28 years on average. Next time you go to the zoo, you might notice a few piles of forage that is hung. The fruits, twigs, and leaves of deciduous plants meet this requirement. Just as anywhere else, there are a variety of habitats, each of which the giraffe must find enough food to survive. To prevent any injuries or wounds, these animals have saliva that is the same consistency of glue. They use these physical characteristics to help forage for food. Instead of having a pattern that is more rounded, the spot edges are more jagged or ripped. A giraffe will spend most of its day eating. An adult will eat about 75 pounds of food each day. Like human fingerprints, the patterns are unique to each animal. This can alter their diet or foraging ranges. What does a giraffe eat? With such unique features, it’s no wonder that they make a spectacle. Vachellia or Senegalia (formerly Acacia) leaves and shoots form the bulk of a giraffe’s diet in most areas. Mainly foods that are pretty tall. Giraffes prefer to eat new shoots and leaves, mainly from the thorny acacia tree. Most of their water comes from all the plants they eat. Their stomachs have four compartments to digest their food. Masai Giraffe And if so, what does the meat taste like? You might be thinking that the African savannas and grasslands are the same thing. This species is the Okapi, an endangered tropical inhabitant that lives in central Africa. Giraffes during this time will focus their foraging efforts on gaining as much energy as they can. Giraffes mainly eat the flowers, twigs, and leaves off of trees and shrubs such as Acacia, apricot and mimosa trees. Winter Season Rothschild's giraffes are very large animals, and it takes a great deal of food to fuel their body. The main delicacy and favorite food for giraffes are acacia leaves. Typical giraffe feeding habits provide a nice schedule. In zoos, visitors are often given vegetable foods like carrots to offer to giraffes as a treat. Their favorite leaves tend to be off of Acacia, Almond and Myrrh trees. If you’re a giraffe, you might want to live in a place that is blanketed with trees. Lighter coloration helps to reflect sunlight, which prevents overheating. They are also referred to as browsers, choosing to eat from food that is higher up such as tall trees. Giraffesare ruminants and have a stomach with four compartments that digests the leaves they eat. But when the giraffe lowers its head to eat or drink, the blood rushing down at such high pressure would cause the blood vessels to burst. Rainy Season With a Bachelor’s of Science in Wildlife: Conservation and Management from Humboldt State University, I have been passionate about using my degree to teach others about animals. Dry Season And although a newborn giraffe measures almost 2 meters in height, they cannot reach the leaves off of a tree. It turns out the Prickly pear is a member of the cactus family, Cactaceae. Grouped together under the family Giraffidae, giraffes share a common relative to cows and deer.