Giraffes feed on foliage of trees, giving preference to acacias. With the help of a long neck they are able to reach the uppermost branches, but they can not reach the ground. To pinch the grass, they have to bend their front legs, in the same position they are forced to drink. Another unusual feature of giraffes is that they sleep very little. By the duration of sleep, they are the record holders among vertebrates: in order to sleep an adult giraffe enough 6-20 minutes a day! Giraffes sleep, unlike most ungulates, not standing, but lying, bending their necks to the croup.
Season of reproduction occurs in the summer. The males arrange ritual battles between themselves, biting each other with their necks. But cruel fights between them never happen.
Pregnancy in these animals lasts 15 months, the female gives birth to a standing and the newborn falls to the ground from a height of two meters. The calf is kept with the mother up to 1, 5 years old, and becomes fully grown up to 4 years. Giraffes live to 25 years.
In nature, adults are attacked by lions and hyenas, and leopards can also hunt for young animals. Predators try to trap giraffes at a watering place, when they drink water with their legs spread wide. In case of attack, the victim does not have time to rise, in other cases the giraffe can give a worthy repulse to the attacker. It is protected by the blows of the front legs and is quite capable of breaking the skull of the lion.
Giraffes are well tolerated and always attract visitors to zoos.
