This characteristic and striking mammal usually lives in the savannahs, that is to say, it likes high temperatures, walks through plains and large forests, its natural habitat is the open air and spaces where they can run and walk in their own way with total freedom. However, the existence of their hunting and construction in the areas where they live, has often forced them to take them to limited enclosures such as safaris, with the aim that they can live in a large place, but protecting their species.
Despite having a thin body and their legs are apparently brittle, the reality is very different, as they are able to scare away predators and even defend themselves against them by kicking certainties that prevent them from stepping on the territory in which they move.
Depending on the habitat in which they live they can be:
Giraffes living in the wild
It is not a typical animal both for its height, its neck and for example the way it bends down to pick up herbs with its mouth or to drink water from the ground. It belongs to the herbivores, it is capable of reaching plants, leaves and a fruit that are in places almost impossible to access, but thanks to its long neck it is a common and very natural job for them. It is an advantage because they are assured of food if they are in a habitat with many fruit-bearing trees, of which they can eat from the peel, the branches, even the leaves themselves, when it is time to pull the plants from the ground, it also chews and swallows its stems, it does not disgust any of the parts of the herbs and plants that it sees around it, even those that are of the wild family, both the fruits and any type of flower. They all provide them with the nutrients they need so that their body stays in shape and they can enjoy their animal life as healthy as possible.
Within the food they ingest a dry part and another part of fruits and fresher plants, they make a combination of both, in this case the males can spend between 19 and 20 hours in a row eating without any type of rest, while the females hover between 14 and 16 kilos. The proportion of fresh that both can eat is similar, while the male eats drier than the female. The amounts of water they drink are immense, reaching more than 28 or 30 liters per day, it is normal because the proportion of their body requires it to keep them on their feet.
A very curious fact is that they have a predilection for eating acacia leaves, which allow them not to drink water for a long time since these provide them with enough liquid they need when they ingest them.
Another vitally relevant fact is that they are ruminants, they have an upper lip that is somewhat thicker than the lower one and an elongated tongue, in which they have a pad and a special saliva that helps them to grind those thorny foods more easily, thanks to this They are capable of extracting all the nutrients and properties of the foods of this type that they eat to the maximum, without posing a risk to their digestion, which is why it can be considered a very positive point.
In addition, they have four well-differentiated stomachs.
The day is usually spent walking near the trees, vines and flowers that they have in their habitat.
As their limbs are so long, they are somewhat clumsy as it is difficult for them to bend the knees of the front legs, this is a necessary movement especially if they want to drink or eat things that are at the level of their ankles.
Giraffes that live in zoos
They do not have the freedom to search for their own food to survive, but they get used to the variety that their caregivers provide them. Normally they undergo prior supervision by a veterinarian and an expert in them, who give instructions on what the fruits are, or what variety of nuts or vegetables they should eat, although they are also provided with leaves or branches that they take. Of the typical trees to which in normal conditions they would go to eat. They must always keep a diet that has variety and balance, that is, that only some foods are not abused, for example, they can be given apples, carrots, onions and then dried. One characteristic they have is that they like pieces that have a sweet taste, such as bananas. A somewhat negative aspect is that being locked up affects them in some way when it comes to being able to enjoy eating herbs or even grass. All those foods that are in your diet must fulfill the function of meeting your nutritional and vitamin needs.
