Giraffe Pictures and Facts

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Fact: Seeing spots? Did you know that the spots on each giraffe are distinctive to that animal alone? Because of this, people who are familiar with giraffes (such as researchers), can often identify each animal merely by recognizing their spot patterns. Source: Buzzle.com

A smiling giraffe.
Image Source: Kenneth Stansell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Fact: Giraffes can eat up to 77 pounds (35 kilograms) of food every day. They do not eat meat, but prefer the leaves and tender shoots of trees and shrubs. Their favorite meal, the leaves and twigs of the thorny acacia tree, have all the nutrients a growing giraffe needs, except for calcium and salt. The leaves also contain a lot of water, making water holes much less of a necessity. With that kind of motivation, it's no wonder they like the acacia so much! Source: The Living Desert

A feeding Reticulated giraffe.
Image Source: Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Fact: Giraffes can often be seen with small, winged passengers perched on their backs. These birds are called "oxpeckers," or more commonly known as "tick-birds," because they eat the ticks off animals, including grateful giraffes. The birds get fed, and the giraffes rid themselves of parasites. Nature working in harmony. By the way, these useful birds also like the giraffes' earwax, and will travel deep into the ear to get it. Yum! Source: from an "Endangered Wildlife Trust" article