Giraffe (BODY Anatomy Unit Study)

In continuing with our 💉 Inside of the BODY Anatomy Unit Study, today, we are exploring the inside of the giraffe, an animal to whom we all hold a true and innate affection. Relative of okapi, antelope, and cattle, the giraffe is a hoofed mammal, and the tallest animal living on land. The height, due to its long neck, allows a giraffe to feed on leaves and twigs from the tops of trees, food that cannot be reached by any other plant-eating neighbor. 

Encyclopedia of Animals book (buy here) provides information about the physical characteristics, habits, and behavior of many animals, and is a great source to learn about the giraffe.
We are also exploring a 4D Vision Giraffe Anatomy Model (buy here), which comes with 27 detachable organs and body parts and an illustrated guide book.
A great addition to your child's animal science museum, this anatomy model is exceptionally detailed, with hand-painted organs and parts. 

The assembly guide offers a description of the giraffe's anatomy, and an insight into the giraffe's life cycle, eating habits, size and more. 

Giraffes' coat patterns are like human fingerprints: no two giraffes share the same pattern. Each of the nine types of a giraffe can be identified by its pattern.

When grazing on exposed grasslands in Africa, giraffes are constantly on the look out for predators that co-inhabit the dry savannah. The primary predators of the giraffe are lions, who use the strength of the entire pride to catch their victim, but giraffes are also preyed upon by leopards and hyenas. 

We had a pleasure of seeing giraffes up close and take pictures during our multiple trips to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We were able to observe that despite its size, a giraffe is very graceful, moving both legs on one side at the same time. (For more on Giraffes and its closest relative Okapi, read here a post" African Animals Language Objects Matching Cards and African Savanna Animals at Animal Kingdom Disney").

For more on Inside Body, read here a post about Human Anatomy "💉 Inside of the Body Anatomy Unit Study."