Baringo giraffe, Ugandan giraffe
Nubian giraffes have sharply defined chestnut-colored spots surrounded by mostly white lines, while undersides lack spotting. The median lump is particularly developed in the male giraffe. The most extraordinary characteristic of the Nubian giraffe is that the extreme length of the forelegs gives the animal a huge stride so that in spite of a rather slow galloping rhythm it can move at speeds up to 48 km per hour (30 miles per hour).
Today Nubian giraffes live in eastern South Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia, and in isolated pockets in Uganda and Kenya. Their preferred habitat includes savannas and woodlands.
Little is known about the behavior of Nubian giraffes. Generally, giraffes are usually found in groups that vary in size and composition. These groups are usually sex-segregated although mixed-sex groups made of adult females and young males also occur. Young males also form groups and engage in playfights. However, as they get older, males become more solitary but may also associate in pairs or with female groups. Giraffes are not territorial, but they have home ranges that vary according to rainfall and proximity to human settlements. Males occasionally roam far from areas that they normally frequent. Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a behavior known as "necking". Necking is used to establish dominance and males that win necking bouts have greater reproductive success. Giraffes browse during the first and last hours of the daytime. Between these hours, giraffes mostly stand and ruminate. Rumination is the dominant activity during the night when it is mostly done lying down.
Nubian giraffes are herbivores (folivores, lignivores, frugivores, graminivores). They eat leaves, stems, twigs of trees, flowers, and fruits.
Giraffes are polygynous, meaning that males mate with multiple females. Usually, males engage in combats, after which the winner gets right to mate with receptive females whenever and wherever it finds them. Normally, the gestation period lasts 13-15 months, yielding a single baby, rarely - twins. The female gives birth in a calving area, which she further uses throughout her life. A newborn calf can walk in just an hour after birth and can run within 24 hours after birth.
The main threats to giraffes include illegal hunting and poaching; these animals attract hunters for their meat, skin, and tail. Another concern is the loss of their natural habitat due to human activities.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Nubian giraffe is 455 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Giraffes have a great effect on the trees that they feed on, delaying the growth of young trees for some years and giving "waistlines" to too tall trees. In addition, when spotting a predator, they can serve as a warning system for other nearby animals.
