Jerapah

Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia.

Gambar jerapah
Perbesar
Gambar jerapah

Jerapah (Giraffa camelopardalis) adalah sebuah mamalia, dan merupakan spesies hewan tertinggi yang hidup di darat. Jantan dapat mencapai ketinggian 4,8 sampai 5,5 meter dan berat sampai 900 kilogram. Betina biasanya sedikit lebih pendek dan lebih ringan.

Penghuni asli Afrika, Jerapah memiliki hubungan dengan rusa dan sapi, tetapi disusun dalam keluarga yang berbeda yaitu Giraffidae, terdiri hanya dari jerapah dan saudara terdekatnya, Okapi.

Nama spesiesnya camelopardalis (camelopard) diambil dari nama Romanya, dimana dia digambarkan memiliki sifat seperti onta (camel) dan leopard.

[sunting] Subspesies jerapah

Habitat jerapah
Perbesar
Habitat jerapah

Ada sembilan subspesies yang diterima umum, dibedakan berdasarkan warna dan variasi pola:

  • Reticulated or Somali Giraffe (G.c. reticulata) — large, polygonal liver-colored spots outlined by a network of bright white lines. The blocks may sometimes appear deep red and may also cover the legs. Range: northeastern Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia.
  • Angolan or Smoky Giraffe (G.c. angolensis) — large spots and some notches around the edges, extending down the entire lower leg. Range: Angola, Zambia.
  • Kordofan Giraffe (G.c. antiquorum) — smaller, more irregular spots that do cover the inner legs. Range: western and southwestern Sudan.
  • Masai or Kilimanjaro Giraffe (G.c. tippelskirchi) — jagged-edged, vine-leaf shaped spots of dark chocolate on a yellowish background. Range: central and southern Kenya, Tanzania.
  • Nubian Giraffe (G.c. camelopardalis) — large, four-sided spots of chestnut brown on an off-white background and no spots on inner sides of the legs or below the hocks. Range: eastern Sudan, northeast Congo.
  • Rothschild's or Baringo or Ugandan Giraffe (G.c. rothschildi) — deep brown, blotched or rectangular spots with poorly defined cream lines. Hocks may be spotted. Range: Uganda, north-central Kenya.
  • South African Giraffe (G.c. giraffa) — rounded or blotched spots, some with star-like extensions on a light tan background, running down to the hooves. Range: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique.
  • Thornicroft or Rhodesian Giraffe (G.c. thornicrofti) — star-shaped or leafy spots extend to the lower leg. Range: eastern Zambia.
  • West African or Nigerian Giraffe (G.c. peralta) — numerous pale, yellowish red spots. Range: Chad.

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