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Giraffe Habitat
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Ideal giraffe habitat - Acacia and tall grass
Photo: Marco Schmidt
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Giraffe distribution - races of the giraffe in Africa
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Giraffe habitat is limited primarily to xeric savannas, sahel and dry, open woodland, especially regions featuring an abundance of acacia, a small thorny tree, one of the giraffe's favorite foods. Treeless regions with low vegetation are not ideal for giraffes because it's hard for them to reach down far enough to eat off the ground (see a picture of a giraffe eating off the ground).
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Giraffe distribution
(click to enlarge)
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The giraffe occurs naturally only in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from southern Mali to Kenya, and south to northern South Africa (see map at left). Giraffes congregate around rivers and waterholes during the dry season, but move into open, deciduous woodlands during the rains. They are active during the night and cooler hours (giraffes sleep less than two hours a day), but rest during the heat of the day.
Expanding human activities, overhunting, and changes in climate have drastically reduced giraffe populations in recent years, especially in western Africa where the local race of the giraffe, peralta (see a picture of this type of giraffe), is now classified as endangered by the IUCN.
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