My apologies, I know it’s been a while since my previous upload. So let’s start off with some interesting facts.
Let’s start with part 1 of a couple of topics, first with Giraffes’ scientific name; Camelopardalis.
So what does Camelopardalis mean? It means, tallest living quadruped, having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs, of the savannahs of tropical Africa.
Now that the name is covered, let’s dig a little deeper. Like we all know,Giraffes are mammals, and the most popular question that pops up for the guide will be, “how many neck vertebrae does a Giraffe have?”
The answer is 7. All mammals, including us humans, have 7 vertebrae.
For more info you need to come and visit us.
Let’s get back to what I want to chat to you about, Osteophagia…
So what is Oste@#$% (yes that tong twister Osteophagia)?
It is the name for herbivores that chew on bone. This helps with extra calcium and phosphor deposits to the body.
Like we can see on the photos at the bottom, here is a Female Giraffe that is busy chewing on a piece of old bone.
Now we don’t see it that often on drive, but like I always say “the right time, the right place and you can see everything you want”.
So why do Giraffes nibble on bones?
Let us start with the skull, the skull of a Giraffe never stops growing and an extra bit of calcium and phosphorus is never a bad thing. With pregnant mommies or moms having a little one suckling,the extra calcium and phosphorus helps her keep up her calcium levels and with the little ones calcification.
So how do they break the bone down? The salvia and the rumen fluids softens the bone particles further during the digestion.
Hope you enjoyed it
A bush goodbye
Dwayne de lange
Head Ranger.