CLASSIFICATION OF GIRAFFE : GIRAFFA CAMELOPARADALIS
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin).
Class :-MAMMALIA ( Body covered with hairs. females have mammary glands ).
Sub-class :- THERIA ( Viviparous ).
Infra class :- EUTHERIA ( Placental mammals, vagina single ).
Order :- ARTIODACTYLA (Even-toed hoofed mammals).
Genus : Giraffa
Species : cameloparadalis
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Found in Africa. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Found in grasslands containing thick population of trees. Basically browsers of brownish leaves of trees. Ruminant.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF GIRAFFE : GIRAFFA CAMELOPARADALIS
- Commonly called as Giraffe. Tallest animals.
- Male stands 4 to 6 metres in height. Females are little shorter 3.5 to 4.5 metres in height.
- Body contains brownish spots over all parts.
- Body divisible into head, elongated neck, trunk, tail, chest and abdomen.
- Head small containing small eyes, nostrils oblique ears and conical jaws. Head in both sexes contains 3 to 5 small horny horns covered by velvety skin.
- Lips leathery. Tongue prehensile extending 1.5 feet in length.
- Neck quite elongated reaching upto leaves of trees.
- Average life span in the wild is 25 years.
- Cervical vertebrae only 7.
- Legs long. Giraffe’s typically run by moving both legs on each side in unison. Fore legs longer than hind legs. To bend down they must spread their fore legs wide.
- Giraffes can live for longer period without water but drink water regularly when available.
- Giraffes have beautiful spotted coats. While no two individuals have exactly the same pattern, giraffes from the same area appear similar.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, which can be up to 2–2.4 m (6.6–7.9 ft) in length, accounting for much of the animal’s vertical height. The long neck results from a disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, not from the addition of more vertebrae. Each cervical vertebra is over 28 cm (11 in) long.
IDENTIFICATION
The animal has elongated neck and all above features, hence, it is Giraffe.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- SOURCE OF IMAGES – https://unsplash.com/images/animals/giraffe
