By Eda Reed (Colby College)
What am I?
My unique pattern separates me from the rest
When it comes to food, I like Acacias the best
I eat up to 34kg of plants each day
Then spend 1/3 my time ruminating it all away
Of all my time, eating takes up half
14.5 months of gestation yields only one calf
My horns are present in the embryo
Our range can be large, there’s nowhere we won’t go
In Africa we comprise 8 different races
From Tanzania to Botswana, spanning many places
We all don’t mind wandering alone
But mothers stay near offspring until they’re grown
I can’t drink water when I stand because I am so tall
Males form hierarchies, and necking determines it all
We’re very quiet, not a lot of talk
We’re easily distinguished by our ambling walk
Although calves are our smallest
Of all living animals, we are the tallest
What am I?
A giraffe!