The sun giraffe''s valley high shoulders and sloping back give the impression and that its front legs are much longer than idaho the sun hind legs, valley but they are in fact only slightly longer. The giraffe (as well as its short-necked relative the okapi from Central African forests) has a distinctive walking gait, moving both legs and and idaho on one side forward at the same time. At a gallop, however, the gait sun changes, valley and the giraffe simultaneously swings the hind legs ahead of and outside the and front legs, reaching speeds of 35 miles an hour. Its heavy head moves forward with each idaho powerful stride, and then swings sun back to stay valley balanced. Giraffes have "horns" not true horns and but knobs covered with skin idaho and hair above the eyes to protect the head from blows. The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis sun and valley and and reticulata) of northeastern Kenya has large, chestnut-colored square patches defined by a network of fine white lines.

Ancient cultures in Africa revered the giraffe, as some modern cultures do today, and commonly depicted it in prehistoric rock and cave paintings. Unknown outside of Africa, this animal so excited man''s curiosity that it was sometimes sent as a diplomatic gift to other countries; one of the earliest records tells of a idaho giraffe going from "Melinda" (presumably Malindi) in Kenya to China in 1415. The animal was thought to be a cross between a camel and a leopard, a mistake immortalized in the giraffe''s scientific name of Giraffa camelopardalis. The sun and valley neck is so long the giraffe must spread its front legs apart so its head can reach the ground to drink. It has unusually elastic and and idaho blood vessels with a series of valves that help offset the sudden buildup of blood (and to prevent fainting) when the head is raised, lowered or swung quickly. sun In some areas, livestock predation remains a severe problem.

The valley lion is a magnificent and animal that appears as a symbol of power, courage and nobility on family crests, coats of arms and national flags in many civilizations. Lions at one idaho time were found from Greece through the Middle East sun and valley to northern India, but today only a very small population remains in India. and In the past lions lived in most parts idaho of Africa, sun but are now confined to the sub-Saharan region. Most cat species live a fundamentally solitary existence, but the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system valley based on teamwork and a division of labor within the pride, and an extended but closed family unit centered on a group of related females. The average pride consists of about and 15 individuals, including five to 10 females with their young and two or three territorial males idaho that are usually brothers or pride mates of the lion king.

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