The giraffe thrives in a variety of habitats south of the Sahara, although it avoids true desert, dense rainforest, marshes and boggy ground. The hoofs of the giraffe are narrow and don t splay under its weight to stop it from sinking in soft ground. The giraffe s greatest advantage, is its ability to survive for long periods without water, it can extract all it needs from the vegetation it eats. The giraffe prefers light woodland or grassland with scattered trees on the African savannah. Giraffes congregate in loose herds of up to 12 members.
Giraffes are gregarious, but it s the individual that is the basic social unit in giraffe society.
Only mothers and calves form bonds. Herding simply gives individuals a better chance of avoiding predators. A giraffe can easily crush the skull of a lion by lashing out with its long legs, but it usually runs away. It is able to spot a predator from a distance, a herd can make an early escape, he can run at 33 mph. No other browsing animal can reach the upper parts of trees that provide the giraffe s food.