GIRAFFE

Animal Adaptation

An adaptation is a physical trait that helps in the survival of a species.

FACTS ABOUT GIRAFFES

• Giraffes live in the grasslands of Africa.
• Giraffes live to be about 25 years old.
• Giraffes are mammals.
• Giraffes are herbivores, which means they eat plants.
• They weigh 1750-2800 lbs. - or heavier than a piano.

GIRAFFE ADAPTATIONS

PROTECTION

• They have long necks and excellent eyesight.
• This allows Giraffes to spot predators from a long distance away.
• Giraffes also have spots on their fur.
• This helps them camouflage among the trees.

FOOD

• Giraffes have rough tongues.
• These rough tongues help them pull leaves from branches.
• The rough tongues also help them not to be hurt by thorns.
• Their tongues are up to 18 inches long!

SURVIVAL

• Giraffes can consume up to 12 gallons of water.
• They can drink this much water at one time from a water hole.
• This helps them to be able to go long periods of time without water.
• A giraffe's heart is 2-3 times stronger than a human heart.
• It needs this heart to pump blood up their long necks to the brain.

GRASSLANDS

• It doesn't get enough rainfall to be a forest.
• It gets too much rainfall to be a desert.
• 1/4 of the Earth's land is grassland.
• Animals have to adapt to the dry, windy conditions.

SOURCES

• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/giraffe/
• http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/homework/adaptations/giraffe....
• http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/grassland-pr...