What kind of animal is a giraffe? What are giraffes good at?

Although giraffes are so tall, they also have their own characteristics and abilities, and some of them are even more interesting. These are some of the reasons why friends like them. What kind of animal is a giraffe? What are giraffes good at? Encyclopedia Knowledge Network will take you to learn more about them and start your encyclopedia journey!

Contents of this article

1. What category does the giraffe belong to?

2. What are giraffes good at?

3. Are giraffes ruminants?

What category does a giraffe belong to?

Giraffes belong to the phylum Chordata and family Giraffe. They are ruminants that grow in Africa. Their Latin name means "camel with leopard prints". They are the tallest terrestrial animals in the world. They are classified as vulnerable. Their fur has spotted and reticulated patterns. They have a wide forehead, a pointed snout, large erect ears, a pair of short bony horns on the top of their heads, and skin and hair covering the horns. Their necks are particularly long (about 2 meters), and they have a row of bristles on the back of their necks. Their bodies are relatively short. Their limbs are tall and strong, with their forelimbs slightly longer than their hindlimbs and their hooves broad and large. Their tails are short and have black tufts at the end. They live in the African savannah and are herbivores. They feed mainly on leaves and twigs. In the wild, giraffes have a lifespan of about 27 years, and those in zoos can live for more than 29 years. They are mainly distributed in South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia in Africa, and are the national animal of South Africa.

What are giraffes good at?

Giraffes are good at eating food at high places, because their necks are the longest among known land animals, which ensures that they can reach branches and leaves. In addition to a pair of large eyes that are natural "lookouts" for monitoring enemies, they will also keep turning their ears to search for the source of the sound until they determine that everything is safe, and then they will continue to eat.

Are giraffes ruminants?

Yes. Giraffes are ruminants, and they can push food out through the muscles of the esophagus. Rumination refers to the process of returning semi-digested food to the mouth for re-chewing after a period of time. Ruminants are animals that chew the cud, usually herbivores, because plant fiber is difficult to digest. The ruminant suborder includes camels, deer, giraffes, antelopes, cattle, sheep, etc. Since these animals have complex ruminant stomachs and can regurgitate food, they are called ruminants.