Giraffes In Kenya
Giraffe have little sexual dimorphism other than males being taller and having heavier straighter horns. The Maasai Giraffe differ from other races in having dark brown blotches as opposed to blocks. Aided by a 45 cms long tongue and a modified atlas-axis joint the Giraffe can feed on most heights of trees, of which Acacias are their favourite; big bulls being able to feed at heights of 19 ft. An astounding number of special features allow this ruminating animal to survive in most ecosystems with appropriate food. They are non territorial and associate in loose herds, the only real bonds being between mother and calf until 1.5 years old.
The gestation period lasts about 14.5mths and the young animal is born about 100 kgs heavy and close to 6 ft tall. Being very precocious they walk within 15 mins and suckle within 1hour. Up until 1year old when they are weaned, the young are often left in crèches by the females. Giraffes have exceptional eyesight and also are believed to communicate through subsonic vocalizations, and so are perfectly able to be good mothers. They rarely fall fowl from predators as they are attentive, apart from when lions specialize in hunting them in certain areas.
Longevity about 25 years.
Rothschild’s Giraffe
The Rothschild Giraffe is the second most endangered giraffe subspecies with only a few hundred members.[1] It is named after the Tring Zoological Museum’s founder, Lord Walter Rothschild[2], and is also known as the Baringo Giraffe, after the Lake Baringo area of Kenya[3], or as the Ugandan Giraffe, All of those that are living in the wild are in protected areas in Kenya and Uganda
Masai Giraffe
Giraffes are the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant.Giraffe’s have the longest tails of any land mammal. They can be up to 8 feet long.
Because of their spotted pattern, giraffes were often called “camel-leopards”. The giraffe species name, Giraffa camelopardalis, was derived from this notion. They have a long prehensile tongue, which can be extended up to 18 inches and is used in plucking leaves from trees. They also have an extremely flexible upper lip to aid in food retrieval.
Masai giraffes differ from the other subspecies of giraffe in part by the oak leaf pattern of their spots
Reticulated Giraffe II
A male Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya.
The Reticulated Giraffe or Somali Giraffe as it is also called, is easily identified by the large, polygonal liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines.
