Okapi lives in the tropical rainforest of the Central Africa which is known as Ituri Rainforest. Okapi is actually one of the last remaining ancestors of the Giraffe.Okapi has the most amusing and appealing feature; the horizontal stripes that are particularly visible on its back and it also seems like Zebra. Furthermore, Okapis have reddish dark backs and back legs and their body shape is similar to that of the giraffe, except okapis have much shorter necks.
Okapi is known as the Giraffe’s cousin – Image: ecololo
2.Okapi is a herbivore which belongs to Giraffidae and its scientific name is Okapia johnstoni. The okapi’s tongue is also long enough for the animal to wash its eyelids and clean its ears (inside and out). This sticky tongue is pointed and bluish-grey in colour like that of the giraffe. Okapis are 1.9 to 2.5 m (6.2 to 8.2 ft) long (from the head to the base of the tail) and stand 1.5 to 2.0 m (4.9 to 6.6 ft) high at the shoulder. They have 30- to 42-cm-long tails. Their weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg (440 to 770 lb).
Okapis are generally solitary mammals. Image: Sheila Sund
3. Okapi is generally a solitary mammal which loves to pass a diurnal life. With an average life span of 25-30 years, the species is classified as Near Threatened by IUCN. Okapis are observed together only to breed, with the exception of mothers and offspring. Breeding behaviours include sniffing, circling, and licking each other. A female okapi communicates certain vocal sounds to invite a male okapi for mating. The Gestation period in female Okapi is around 427-491 days and she gives birth to a single calf. Newborns can weigh up to 30kg. A young okapi grows into an adult after 3 years of birth.
Okapi is an African animal – Image by dendrea
4. Okapi is generally a tranquil and non-aggressive animal. However, when in danger, the aggressive behaviors include kicking, head-throwing, and slaps using the side or top of head as a blow to flank or rump. Kicking is often symbolic without contact. Males are larger than females and the males have skin-covered horns. Females have no horns but do have “bumps” or hair whorls on head where horns would be; occasionally have rudimentary horns.
An Okapi Calf – Image by Kevin Baird
5. The largest population of Okapis live in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they have the threats like Habitat Destruction and Poaching. One of the 5 amusing facts about Okapiis that Okapis are ruminants i.e. they swallow their food initially and later regurgitate it, for chewing and swallowing it the last time. Okapis, although usually silent, make certain vocal sounds such as ‘chuff’, ‘bleat’ and ‘moo’. When okapis were first discovered, there were about 40,000 of them in existence. Now, the estimated population is less than 10,000.
9 Interesting facts about the tallest mammal, Giraffe
Giraffe : An image from Lifestyle pinning on Pinterest
1- The giraffe is scientifically known as Giraffa camelopardaliswhich is specially known for its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones and its distinctive coat patterns. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females. Giraffe has nine sub-species which are distinguished by their coat patterns.
Giraffes under the sky: Image:Josie Leonetti on Pinterest
2- Giraffe is the tallest mammal which eats up to 75 pounds of food a day (typically Acacia leaves which is their food item) and uses its long tongue to eat the leaves of trees. Giraffe has a four chambered stomach and will regurgitate their food for additional chewing – similarly to a cow. Although, the giraffes get most of their water from the Acacia leaf, but will drink up to 10 gallons of water per day.
Giraffe, the tallest mammal on the lovely planet
3- Although, some species of Giraffe are classified as endangered; the International Union for conservation of Nature has listed Giraffe as species of Least Concern. The Nubian Giraffe, the Kordofan Giraffe, the Rothschild Giraffe, the Reticulated Giraffe and the West African Giraffe are found in rare numbers on the lovely planet. The Angolan Giraffe, the South African Giraffe, the Massai Giraffe and the Rhodesian Giraffe have reasonable numbers and also sufficiently kept in the world zoos.
A Giraffe family of Africa
4- The heart of Giraffe is normally 2 feet long and weighs about 25 pounds having various thick muscular walls. Giraffes are the highest known blood pressure of any mammal in the world – up to 280/180mm Hg when prone at heart level (approximately twice that of an average human). Giraffe’s heart beats up to 170 times/minute which also pumps about 16 gallons of blood/minute. The biologists take extreme care while catching giraffes for research purposes or for capture for a zoo exhibit because if the Giraffes run too long, they will suffer a heart attack due to the high blood pressure.
A Giraffe couple – Image from Sofia Robbialaac.tumblr
5- Giraffes are native to Africa and can be found in a range that extends from Chad in Central Africa to South Africa. The ideal habitats for the Giraffes are the arid regions such as savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. Giraffes belong to the family Giraffidae. The family Giraffidae, in turn is subdivided into two subgroups, the genus Giraffa and the genus Okapia.
Ossicones of Giraffes – Image by David Berkowitz
6- One of the most distinctive features of Giraffe is its short horns on its head which is also known as ossicones. Both male and female giraffes have horns. Giraffe horns are formed from ossified cartilage (cartilage that has transformed into bone) and for that reason the horns of giraffes are also called ossicones. The ossicones of giraffes remain covered by skin and fur. Ossicones can help to distinguish between male and female giraffes. Females have tufts of hair on the top of the ossicones. Males, in contrast, usually have bare-topped ossicones.
A pregnant female giraffe – Image by dmitri_66
7- The Female Giraffes have their first conception in their fifth year; the gestation period is of 15 months and the interval between births is generally 20 months. Giraffe has the life expectancy of 25 years in the wild. The baby Giraffe is generally 6 feet tall and will weigh about 150 pounds at birth and it begins nursing within one hour. A baby Giraffe generally begins walking within one hour and it spends between 16 and 20 hours a day feeding.
Giraffe Kid with his Mom
8- A giraffe’s neck is of 1.5 – 1.8 meters, which contains the same number of vertebrae at a human neck. With the help of its long neck, a giraffe is able to reach leaves, fruit and flowers high up in Acacia’s and other sought after tree species. Similarly, Giraffes have the longest tails of any land mammal – up to 8 feet long, including the tuft at the end. Male giraffes sometimes fight with their necks over female giraffes. This is called “necking”. The two giraffes stand side by side and one giraffe swings his head and neck, hitting his head against the other giraffe. Sometimes one giraffe is hit to the ground during a combat.
A Giraffe Couple in the African grassland – Image by WELS net
9- One of the most surprising giraffe facts is that they sleep far less than most other mammals, typically less than two hours a day (on average, 1.9 hours). Another interesting fact about a giraffe has perhaps the keenest eyes vision together with its height; thus the greatest range of vision of any terrestrial creature. Like a camel, a giraffe can stock up on water and then go without drinking for long periods of time.
Different countries of the lovely planet have classified their national animals. The motive behind this is to create the awareness for the protection of the rare and endangered animal species in their respective areas. The National Animals of the countries of the lovly planet are as under ;
1- African Leopard : The National Animal of Rwanda
African Leopard : The National Animal of Rwanda ( Image: Wendy Salisbury )
2- Alpaca: The National Animal of Bolivia
Alpaca: The National Animal of Bolivia. (Image:Wayne Grivell )
3- Alpine Ibex: The National Animal of Slovenia
The Alpine Ibex is the national animal of Slovenia (Image:Zahoor Ahmed )
4- Arabian Horse: The National Animal of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( KSA )
Arabian Horse: The National Animal of KSA ( Image by egg salad sandwich )
5- ASIATIC LION: The National Animal of Iran
ASIATIC LION: The National Animal of Iran ( Image: Martien Ulteweerd )
6- Aurochs: The National Animal of Moldova
Aurochs: The National Animal of Moldova ( Image by Zooadmin )
7- Barbary Lion: The National Animal of Libya & Morocco
Barbary Lion: The National Animal of Libya & Morocco ( Image: Anne Marie Kalus )
8- Beaver : The National Animal of Canada
Beaver : The National Animal of Canada ( An image by Mark McCulloch )
9- Black Rhinoceros: The National Animal of Lesotho
Black Rhinoceros: The National Animal of Lesotho ( Image: Daryl Mitchell )
10- Fighting Bull: The National Animal of Spain
Fighting Bull: The National Animal of Spain ( Image: Beto Frota )
11- Camel: the National Animal of Eritrea
Camel: the National Animal of Eritrea ( Image by Jeff Kennel )
12- Carabao: The National Animal of Philippines
Carabao: The National Animal of Philippines ( Image: Marcelo )
13- African Elephant: The National Animal of Côte d’Ivoire
African Elephant: The National Animal of Côte d'Ivoire ( Image: Arno Meintjes )
14- Cypriot Mouflon: The National Animal of Cyprus
Cypriot Mouflon: The National Animal of Cyprus ( Image: Pambos Charalambous )
15- Dalmatian: The National Animal of Croatia
Dalmatian: The National Animal of Croatia ( Image: ERIC JOHNSTONE )
16- Elk or Moose: The National Animal of Norway
Elk or Moose: The National Animal of Norway ( Image: Lars Kehrel )
17- English Bulldog: The National Animal of England
English Bulldog: The National Animal of England ( Image: Mercedes Roundy )
18- European Rabbit: The National Animal of Monaco
European Rabbit: The National Animal of MOnaco ( Image : 0ystercatcher )
19- Faroes Sheep: National Animal of the Faroe Islands
Faroes Sheep: National Animal of the Faroe Islands ( Image : ANJAI )
20- Fennec Fox: The National Animal of Algeria
Fennec Fox: The National Animal of Algeria ( Photo by Monchoparis )
21- Giraffe: The National Animal of Tanzania
Giraffe: The National Animal of Tanzania ( Photo by Daniela White )
22- Grey Wolf: The National Animal of Turkey
Grey Wolf: The National Animal of Turkey ( From: Gary's Photos )
23- Huemul: The National Animal of Chile
Huemul: The National Animal of Chile ( From Rodrigo Carrasco's Photos )
24- Iberian Wolf: The National Animal of Portugal
Iberian Wolf: The National Animal of Portugal ( From Ian Macfadyen's Images )
25- Indian Elephant: The National Animal of Laos
Indian Elephant: The National Animal of Laos ( Image by Jagdeep Rajput )
26- Israeli Gazelle: The National Animal of Israel
Israeli Gazelle: The National Animal of Israel ( Image : Guy Halmovitch )
27- Italian Wolf: The National Animal of Italy
Italian Wolf: The National Animal of Italy
28- Kangroo: The National Animal of Australia
Kangroo: The National Animal of Australia ( Image: Ian Thomas )
29- Komodo Dragon: The National Animal of Indonesia
Komodo Dragon: The National Animal of Indonesia ( Image by Ciska Tobling )
30- Lynx: The National Animal of Romania & Slovenia
Lynx: The National Animal of Romania & Slovenia ( Photo: Juan Luis Perez )
31- Malayan Tiger: The National Animal of Malaysia
Malayan Tiger: The National Animal of Malaysia ( Photo : David Wang )
32- Okapi: The National Animal of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Okapi: The National Animal of the Democratic Republic of Congo. By: Aarti Kanisetty
33- Polar Bear: The National Animal of Greenland
Polar Bear: The National Animal of Greenland ( USFWS Alaska's Image )
34- Raccoon Dog: The National Animal of Japan
Raccoon Dog: The National Animal of Japan ( An image from Doris Rapp )
35- Red Deer: The National Animal of Ireland
Red Deer: National Animal of Ireland ( Photo: Martien Ulterweerd )
36- Russian Bear: The National Animal of Russia
Russian Bear: The National Animal of Russia ( Image: Natalia Suslova )
37- Sable Antelope: The National Animal of Zimbabwe
Sable Antelope: The National Animal of Zimbabwe ( Photo: Beth Wold )
38- Singapore Cat: The National Animal of Singapore
Singapore Cat: The National Animal of Singapore by Christine Cauble
39- Striped Hyena: The National Animal of Lebanon
Striped Hyena: The National Animal of Lebanon ( Image: Truus & Zoo )
40- The Pharaoh Hound: The National Animal of MALTA
The Pharaoh Hound: The National Animal of MALTA ( Image: Alan Mackenzie )
41- Thomson’s Gazelle: The National Animal of Malawi
Thomson's Gazelle: The National Animal of Malawi ( Image: Focal Smoke )
42- Vicuna: The National Animal of Peru
Vicuna: The National Animal of Peru ( Image: Centro Int )
43- Water Buffalo: The National Animal of Vietnam
Water Buffalo: The National Animal of Vietnam ( Image: Mosaic Images )
44- White Tailed Deer : The National Animal of Costa Rica
White Tailed Deer : The National Animal of Costa Rica ( Image: Jim Cumming )
45- Wisent: The National Animal of Belarus
Wisent: The National Animal of Belarus ( Image: Harpagornis )
46- Xoloitzcuintli: The National Animal of Mexico
Xoloitzcuintli: The National Animal of Mexico (An image by Antonio Luis)
47- Zebra: The National Animal of Botswana
Zebra: The National Animal of Botswana ( Photo: Daniel P Davis )
