How much giraffes eat in a day

Consume kg lbs of browse per day. Foraging Able to feed at heights unreachable by all other browsers, except for the elephant Wilson and Mittermeier ; Dagg Pruned browse line along the undersides of trees at a height of about 4. Likely affects the shape of trees, like Acacia.

Long, prehensile, sticky tongue enables a giraffe to feed on hard-to-reach leaves. Elongated occipital condyles where the skull attaches to the neck enable a giraffe to extend its head to a completely vertical angle, increasing its reach while browsing.

Because males are so much taller than females, they browse in a higher region of a tree, potentially reducing competition for food O'Connor et al. Mouth protected against thorns Wilson and Mittermeier Strip leaves between lower teeth and hardened upper dental pad.

Tongue has small, thickened papillae Acacia defense response to giraffe browsing Bernard and Parker ; Brenneman et al. New acacia shoots generally high in protein but low in tannins.

Giraffe induce shoot growth in some Acacia species through their browsing. Airborne release of tannins; giraffes may move upwind. Drought and intense browsing by many giraffe may limit the re-growth ability of acacia.

Feeding Digestion Dagg , except as noted Very little chewing when food first eaten. Quickly swallowed, partially digested, and later regurgitated. Chew more thoroughly at a later time "chewing cud" , like other ruminants. Regardless of their living circumstances, giraffes spend the majority of their day eating. On average, a single giraffe will eat about 35 kilograms of plant material in a day. When you consider how light a leaf is, you can imagine how long it might take to reach that weight in foliage.

With such a large body mass, it is no wonder that these animals have to constantly eat. Being born in Africa, giraffes have to watch out for a number of threats. The survival of the young is dependent on how quickly they can walk. Once a baby giraffe is born, it relies upon the milk of its mother to become strong. And although a newborn giraffe measures almost 2 meters in height , they cannot reach the leaves off of a tree.

It takes about six months for a baby giraffe to begin reaching these plants. Until then, the mother will pull foliage down for the infant. A fun fact about baby giraffes is their a bility to run with the herd merely 10 hours after birth. This is critical in escaping predators.

Those iconic large trees that you find in the African savanna and grasslands are not quite the most desired by browsing wildlife, but the giraffe is well equipped for this plant. The Acacia tree thorns held among the leaves can grow up to 7 centimeters in length. The giraffe uses a variety of tricks to get past them. Long Necks Most animals in Africa are unable to get to Acacia in the first place.

This is due to the fact that they can reach a staggering 5. Long, Purple Tongue Have you ever witnessed a giraffe foraging? You may have noticed the length of their tongue. These animals are long in every aspect of the word with a tongue that is around 46 centimeters. This tongue is not only dexterous but thickly lined to ward off the potential pricks of Acacia thorns. Giraffes are also equipped with a leathery mouth for added protection. Another observation you may have made while watching a captive giraffe eat is that their tongues are a dark black or blue color.

A fun tongue fact is that these animals use the color of their tongue to protect themselves from sunburns as they use this body part to forage throughout the day. Saliva One unusual adaptation that giraffes possess is their saliva. To prevent any injuries or wounds, these animals have saliva that is the same consistency of glue.

Coating their mouth in this healing agent is key to eating on the unforgiving Acacia, especially with all of those thorns. Giraffes are more than able to consume a number of plants that have thorns, but what about cacti? It turns out the Prickly pear is a member of the cactus family, Cactaceae.

With such a long neck, you would think that reaching down would be easy. The only way that a giraffe can drink is to spread their legs out and slightly kneel so that they can drink from a watering hole. While drinking, they are vulnerable to lurking predators. Fortunately, these animals only have to drink every couple of days. Grouped together under the family Giraffidae , giraffes share a common relative to cows and deer. This species is the Okapi, an endangered tropical inhabitant that lives in central Africa.

It shares a similar body shape with horn-like appendages on the top of its head. This animal also has stripes on its legs, though it is the only other living member to belong to the family Giraffidae. Being such a large animal can put you at a disadvantage, especially when on the African continent where predators rule the plains. The lion is the most frequent threat as they hunt in groups.

It is unlikely for them to hunt down an adult, but younger individuals are often sought out. Other predators include hyenas and leopards. Adult giraffes are able to protect themselves through the use of their strong back legs and broad hooves. There are a couple of theories as to why these long-necked animals have spots in the first place. Some think that it is to help them blend in amongst the trees and shrubbery. Yes, giraffes do eat apples as they are healthy and nutritious for giraffes to consume.

Giraffes do not eat birds since they are herbivores that live off of plants. Yes, they do eat carrots as they are filled with nutrients that giraffes require. No, they cannot eat eucalyptus leaves because they cause several health issues in giraffes. Yes, giraffes eat leaves; acacia tree leaves are their favorite. Yes, during the dry season, when food is scarce, African tribes hunt and eat giraffes.

Giraffes have adapted to be tall enough to consume leaves from higher branches of trees. A baby giraffe takes approximately six months to enter these plants. Until then, the mother will pull down foliage for the baby. Giraffes can consume up to 75 pounds 34 kilograms of food a day and spend the majority of their time feeding.

The predators like lions, hyenas, and leopards can eat giraffes. Giraffes consume mostly leaves and buds from trees and shrubs in Africa. Giraffes in captivity are fed leaves, fruits, hay, and vegetables, as well as specially made giraffe food, which is mostly in the form of pellets. Giraffes in the wild consume mostly the flowers, twigs, and leaves of trees and shrubs.

The Acacia and Combretum trees are the key food sources for the Reticulated Giraffe, but they can consume up to different plants depending on which is available at the time.