What are 10 interesting facts about baby giraffes?
Here are the top 10 most interesting facts about baby giraffes?
1. Baby giraffes, called calves, can stand up and walk within an hour of being born.
2. Calves are already quite tall at birth, measuring around 6 feet.
3. They inherit their unique coat patterns from their mothers, which help with camouflage.
4. Calves often engage in “necking” play, where they gently rub their necks against each other.
5. They have a special adaptation called “automimicry,” where the tips of their ossicones (horn-like structures) are darker in color, resembling adult giraffe’s horns, to deter predators.
6. For the first few weeks of their lives, calves rely on their mothers’ milk for nutrition before transitioning to solid food.
7. They can nurse from any lactating female giraffe, not just their mother, indicating a cooperative nursing behavior.
8. Calves spend a lot of time in nursery groups known as “kindergartens” where they socialize and play with other young giraffes.
9. They can imitate the feeding behavior of adult giraffes as early as three weeks old.
10. Despite their large size at birth, calves are still vulnerable to predators, and their mothers fiercely protect them by kicking at potential threats.