Photo: Giraffe Auckland Zoo
Natural skyscaper of the world - a Giraffe at the Auckland Zoo on the North Island of New Zealand.
The word giraffe comes from the Arabic word 'xirafa' meaning 'one who walks fast'. They can run at up to 56km per hour! Their walking stride alone is over 4.5 metres and their footprints are larger than dinner plates.
Giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world, with some reaching as tall as 6 metres. They are classed as ruminants and feed by browsing from the tops of trees. Although it doesn't seem like it, they actually have the same number of bones in their neck as humans, only their bones are a lot longer.
Giraffes horns are called ossicones, and are bony lumps covered with skin and hair. Some male giraffes have a crown of up to five horns. Each giraffe's pattern is a unique 'fingerprint' and also acts as a camouflage in the trees and in their natural native habitat.
Giraffe, Garaffa camelopardalis, in the Pridelands area of the Auckland Zoo, Auckland, North Island, New Zealand.
Giraffe Auckland Zoo
on the North Island of New Zealand.
Pictures from photo gallery "Garaffa Camelopardalis"
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Giraffe Auckland Zoo
Technical Information:
I photographed this photo with the digital SLR camera model Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, aperture of f/5.6, exposure time of 1/1000 sec. on ISO 200, as always I used a original Canon Lens, the focus lenght for this picture was 400mm.
Natural skyscaper of the world - a Giraffe at the Auckland Zoo on the North Island of New Zealand.
