The Giraffe (Martes pennanti)
Giraffes are among the most unusual and recognizable animals in the world.
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Giraffes are native to Sub-Saharan states in Africa and you can tell which part of Africa a giraffe comes from based on the patterns in their coat. Currently there are nine different sub-species of Giraffes recognized.
From a very early age we learn that they are a prime example of the theory of evolution and natural selection. In Origin of Species, Darwin pointed out how natural selection led the Giraffe to evolve with a longer neck so that the strongest of the species could always reach to the tops of trees for the leaves, their primary source of food. Since there were few other animals competing for that particular food, the giraffes who evolved with the longer necks survied and flourished.
Giraffes are not only tall, they are also relatively fast and strong. To fight off their main predators, such as the lion, they can run up to 30 mph in short bursts and deliver some potent kicks.
Two interesting facts about giraffes is that they rarely drink water or sleep. As for water, they get most of the moisture they need from the leaves they eat. Some people believe giraffes learn to get their water this way to avoid sticking their necks down at watering holes to avoid danger. The closer you are to the ground, the more dangerous live becomes.
There are a couple or theories on why they need so little sleep, maybe two hours per day. It could be, like the water theory, that they are most vunerable to attack when asleep, so they evolved into relatively sleepless animals. They also normally sleep standing up since laying down and getting back up is difficult for such a large animal. Another theory of sleepless animals deals with size, hypothesizing that like other large animals, they are built to need less sleep. More research is needed on this interesting question.
© 2006. Patricia A. Michaels.