LIVE WEBCAM WITH GIRAFFES AT HOUSTON ZOO

More info: The Masai giraffe is the largest subspecies of giraffe and is native to East Africa being found in central and southern Kenya and in Tanzania. Masai giraffe have a jagged oak leaf like pattern on their coat which characteristically continues all the way to the bottom of their legs.

A giraffes sense of smell, hearing and vision are acute. However, among the African big game species, the giraffe is believed to have the keenest eyesight, and its height gives it the greatest range of vision. The giraffes very long neck is an adaptation to feeding at high levels in the treetops. The prehensile tongue allows them to draw their food into their mouths, and they then strip the leaves between their lower teeth and a hardened upper dental pad. Their saliva contains an antiseptic to help heal any wounds on their tongues if they happen to be damaged by thorns.

Giraffes are able to feed at heights unreachable by all other browsers, except for elephants. Because male giraffes are so much taller than females, they browse in a higher region of a tree, potentially reducing competition for food. Giraffes are ruminants and do very little chewing when they first eat and food is quickly swallowed. The partially digested food is later regurgitated and chewed more thoroughly before passing down to the four chambered stomach.