A giraffe is an animal that lives in africa and has long neck

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A giraffe is an animal that lives in africa and has long neck

Приложение к уроку «At the Zoo»

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«Приложение к уроку «At the Zoo»»

ПРИЛОЖЕНИЕ К УРОКУ «В ЗООПАРКЕ»

Today, when I was at the Zoo,
I watched the mother kangaroo.
Inside her skin she has a pocket.
She puts her baby there to rock it.

Lazy –[leizi] (лейзи) – ленивый,

Weak –[ wik](вик) –это слабый,

Strong –[stron] (стронг)- значит сильный,

Funny-[f^ni] (фани) – смешной,

Angry [ engri] (энгри) – сердитый,

Cunning [k^nin] (канинг) – ой, хитрый,

A mouse is weak.

A lion is strong.

A monkey is funny.

A snake is long.

A fox is cunning.

An elephant is tall.

A wolf is angry.

A frog is small.

Let’s study main rules!

Collect all the words in the right column and write 2-3 your examples:

Giraffe zebra sheep elephant hippo lion tiger crocodile wolf fox bear monkey seal panda raccoon hen fly

1. An elephant is a huge animal that lives in Africa and Asia. Elephants are grey, they have two big ears, two long teeth (tusks) and a long nose (a trunk). They eat leaves, plants, fruit and roots. Elephants are mammals.

2. A fox belongs to the dog family. It is a mammal. Foxes are red and they have beautiful fluffy tails. They are very cunning, they catch and eat small animals and birds. They live all over the world.

3. A giraffe is a tall animal with a long neck and thin long legs. Animals live in Africa, they eat tree leaves and fruit. Giraffes are mammals. Their bodies are covered with brown marks.

4. A rhinoceros is a large and heavy mammal that lives in Africa and Asia. It has one or two sharp horns on its head and it has thick skin. Rhinoceroses eat fruit, leaves and grass.

5. A hare is a small mammal with a short tail, long legs and long ears. Hares eat plants and fruit. They can jump and run very fast. Hares live in Europe and America.

6. A hedgehog is a small mammal covered in spines. It can roll in a ball. Hedgehogs hunt for insects, worms and small animals. They live in Asia, Africa and Europe.

7. A lion is a large wild cat. It is called “the king of beasts”. It has sharp teeth and claws, a big head and a long tail. Lions are predators, they hunt for other animals. Animals live in Africa and India in groups called prides. Lions are very strong, smart and cunning.

8. A bear is a large mammal. Bears have large paws with sharp claws. They can climb and swim very well. They live all around the world. Animals like to eat meat, fish, plants, fruit, berries and honey. Bears have a sweet tooth.

9. A camel is a large mammal. It lives in Africa. It eats vegetation: plants, grass and grain. Camels have a long neck and two humps. They can live without water for 10 months.

10. A wolf is a wild mammal. Wolves are of grey colour and they look like dogs. They are smart predators and eat other animals. Wolves live in small groups in forests and mountains.

11. A crocodile is a large dangerous animal that lives in rivers and lakes of Africa, Asia, Australia and America. Predators eat fish and mammals. They can swim and run very fast.

12. A zebra belongs to the horse family. It is a striped black-and-white mammal. Zebras live in Africa in groups (herds). They eat vegetation. They can run and kick with their strong legs.

13. A monkey is a small animal with a long tail. Monkeys live in the forests of America, Africa and Asia. Animals are very funny, smart and active. Monkeys can run, jump, climb and play with each other. They like to eat fruit, nuts, berries, eggs and insects.

14. A panda is a white-and-black mammal. It lives in the forests of China. It can climb very well. Pandas look like fluffy bears. They eat bamboo trees, plants and small animals.

15. A kangaroo is a mammal that lives in Australia. It eats plants and leaves. Kangaroos have strong long legs and they can hop very fast. They also have a pocket on their stomach where they can carry their babies.

16. A squirrel is a small pretty animal. It has a fluffy tail. It lives in trees all over the world. Squirrels eat nuts, berries, fruit and insects. They can jump and climb trees.

giraffe

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Male giraffes may exceed 5.5 metres (18 feet) in height and female giraffes may reach about 4.5 metres (about 14 feet). Giraffes grow to nearly their full height by age four.

Most giraffes live in grasslands and open woodlands in East Africa, especially in reserves such as the Serengeti National Park and the Amboseli National Park. Some are also found in the reserves of Southern Africa.

Giraffes eat new shoots and leaves, mainly from the thorny acacia tree. The tongue and the inside of the mouth are lined with tough tissue that protects against the thorns.

Giraffes live up to 26 years in the wild and slightly longer in captivity.

Giraffes are not classified as an endangered species. Their conservation status was reclassified from a species of least concern to vulnerable in 2016 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in response to increased mortality rates brought on by habitat loss and illegal hunting.

Read a brief summary of this topic

giraffe, (genus Giraffa), any of four species in the genus Giraffa of long-necked cud-chewing hoofed mammals of Africa, with long legs and a coat pattern of irregular brown patches on a light background. Giraffes are the tallest of all land animals; males (bulls) may exceed 5.5 metres (18 feet) in height, and the tallest females (cows) are about 4.5 metres. Using prehensile tongues almost half a metre long, they are able to browse foliage almost six metres from the ground. Giraffes are a common sight in grasslands and open woodlands in East Africa, where they can be seen in reserves such as Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. The genus Giraffa is made up of the northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis), the southern giraffe (G. giraffa), the Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi), and the reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata).

Giraffes grow to nearly their full height by four years of age but gain weight until they are seven or eight. Males weigh up to 1,930 kg (4,250 pounds), females up to 1,180 kg (2,600 pounds). The tail may be a metre in length and has a long black tuft on the end; there is also a short black mane. Both sexes have a pair of horns, though males possess other bony protuberances on the skull. The back slopes downward to the hindquarters, a silhouette explained mainly by large muscles that support the neck; these muscles are attached to long spines on the vertebrae of the upper back. There are only seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, but they are elongated. Thick-walled arteries in the neck have extra valves to counteract gravity when the head is up; when the giraffe lowers its head to the ground, special vessels at the base of the brain control blood pressure.

The gait of the giraffe is a pace (both legs on one side move together). In a gallop, it pushes off with the hind legs, and the front legs come down almost together, but no two hooves touch the ground at the same time. The neck flexes so that balance is maintained. Speeds of 50 km (31 miles) per hour can be maintained for several kilometres, but 60 km (37 miles) per hour can be attained over short distances. Arabs say of a good horse that it can “outpace a giraffe.”

Giraffes live in nonterritorial groups of up to 20. Home ranges are as small as 85 square km (33 square miles) in wetter areas but up to 1,500 square km (580 square miles) in dry regions. The animals are gregarious, a behaviour that apparently allows for increased vigilance against predators. They have excellent eyesight, and when one giraffe stares, for example, at a lion a kilometre away, the others look in that direction too. Giraffes live up to 26 years in the wild and slightly longer in captivity.

Giraffes prefer to eat new shoots and leaves, mainly from the thorny acacia tree. Cows in particular select high-energy low-fibre items. They are prodigious eaters, and a large male consumes about 65 kg (145 pounds) of food per day. The tongue and inside of the mouth are coated with tough tissue as protection. The giraffe grasps leaves with its prehensile lips or tongue and pulls them into the mouth. If the foliage is not thorny, the giraffe “combs” leaves from the stem by pulling it across the lower canine and incisor teeth. Giraffes obtain most water from their food, though in the dry season they drink at least every three days. They must spread the forelegs apart in order to reach the ground with the head.

Females first breed at four or five years of age. Gestation is 15 months, and, though most calves are born in dry months in some areas, births can take place in any month of the year. The single offspring is about 2 metres (6 feet) tall and weighs 100 kg (220 pounds). For a week the mother licks and nuzzles her calf in isolation while they learn each other’s scent. Thereafter, the calf joins a “nursery group” of similar-aged youngsters, while mothers forage at variable distances. If lions or hyenas attack, a mother sometimes stands over her calf, kicking at the predators with front and back legs. Cows have food and water requirements that may keep them away from the nursery group for hours at a time, and about half of very young calves are killed by lions and hyenas. Calves sample vegetation at three weeks but suckle for 18–22 months. Males join other bachelors when one to two years old, whereas daughters are likely to stay near the mother.

Bulls eight years and older travel up to 20 km per day looking for cows in heat (estrus). Younger males spend years in bachelor groups, where they engage in “necking” bouts. These side-to-side clashes of heads cause mild damage, and bone deposits subsequently form around the horns, eyes, and back of the head; a single lump projects from between the eyes. Accumulation of bone deposits continues through life, resulting in skulls weighing 30 kg. Necking also establishes a social hierarchy. Violence sometimes occurs when two older bulls converge on an estrous cow. The advantage of a heavy, knobbed skull is soon apparent. With forelegs braced, bulls swing their necks and club each other with their skulls, aiming for the underbelly. There have been instances of bulls being knocked off their feet or even rendered unconscious.

Paintings of giraffes appear on early Egyptian tombs; just as today, giraffe tails were prized for the long wiry tuft hairs used to weave belts and jewelry. In the 13th century, East Africa supplied a trade in hides. During the 19th and 20th centuries, overhunting, habitat destruction, and rinderpest epidemics introduced by European livestock reduced giraffes to less than half their former range. Today giraffes are numerous in East African countries and also in certain reserves of Southern Africa, where they have enjoyed somewhat of a recovery. The West African subspecies of the northern giraffe is reduced to a small range in Niger.

Giraffes were traditionally classified into one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, and then into several subspecies on the basis of physical features. Nine subspecies were recognized by coat pattern similarities; however, it was also known that individual coat patterns were unique. Some scientists contended that these animals could be divided into six or more species, since studies had shown that differences in genetics, reproductive timing, and pelage patterns (which are indicative of reproductive isolation) exist between various groups. By the 2010s mitochondrial DNA studies had determined that genetic uniquenesses brought on by the reproductive isolation of one group from another were significant enough to separate giraffes into four distinct species.

The giraffe had long been classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which places all giraffes in the species G. camelopardalis. A study in 2016, however, determined that habitat loss resulting from expanding agricultural activities, increased mortality brought on by illegal hunting, and the effects of ongoing civil unrest in a handful of African countries had caused giraffe populations to plummet by 36–40 percent between 1985 and 2015, and, as of 2016, the IUCN has reclassified the conservation status of the species as vulnerable.

The only close relative of the giraffe is the rainforest-dwelling okapi, which is the only other member of the family Giraffidae. G. camelopardalis or something very similar lived in Tanzania two million years ago, but Giraffidae branched off from other members of the order Artiodactyla—cattle, antelope, and deer—about 34 million years ago.

Giraffe

The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis meaning ‘fast walking camel leopard) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species.

The giraffe is related to deer and cattle, however, it is placed in a separate family, the Giraffidae, consisting only of the giraffe and its closest relative, the okapi.

The giraffes range extends from Chad to South Africa. Although the Okapi is much shorter than the giraffe, it also has a long neck and eats leaves and both animals have long tongues and skin-covered horns.

The giraffes ancestors first appeared in central Asia about 15 million years ago, however, the earliest fossil records of the giraffe itself, from Israel and Africa, date back about 1.5 million years.

Giraffe Characteristics

The giraffe is the tallest living animal which is instantly recognizable by its exceptionally long neck. Adult males stand 15 – 19 feet (4.6 – 6.0 metres) tall, whereas females are shorter at 13 – 16 feet (4 – 4.8 metres) tall. Adult males weigh between 1,764 – 4,255 pounds (800 – 930 kilograms), while females weigh only 1,213 – 2,601 pounds (550 – 1,180 kilograms).

The giraffe has the longest tail of any land mammal. Their tail can grow to be 8 feet (2.4 metres) long, including the tuft on the end.

In addition to its great height, the giraffe is also one of the heaviest land animals. Exceptionally large males may weigh up to 1,900 kilograms (about 4,200 pounds).

Female giraffes are smaller, rarely reaching half that weight. Compared to other hoofed mammals the giraffe has a relatively short body, however, its legs are disproportionately long.

A giraffes front legs are about 10% longer than their hind legs, a feature that contributes to the animals steeply sloping back. Mature giraffes have large hooves about the size of dinner plates, around 12 inches wide.

Giraffe Habitat

Giraffes can inhabit savannas, grasslands or open woodlands. Giraffes prefer areas enriched with acacia growth (a genus of shrubs and trees). Most giraffes live either in East Africa or in Angola and Zambia in southwestern Africa. Until the middle of the 20th century giraffes were also commonly found in West Africa, south of the Sahara. But populations there have fallen sharply and become increasingly fragmented.

Giraffe Diet

Giraffes live in habitats where the available food varies throughout the year. During the dry season, giraffes eat evergreen leaves, however, once the rainy season begins, they switch to new leaves and stems that sprout on deciduous trees. Also, twigs and branches are pulled into the mouth of the giraffe with their long and dextrous tongues. In the wild giraffes can eat up to 66 kilograms of food daily.

When there is a choice, male and female giraffes feed in different ways. Males concentrate on leaves from the highest branches, while the females arch their necks to eat closer to the ground. Because of this characteristic behaviour, a giraffe can be identified as either male or female from a long distance away simply by its stance while eating. Male giraffes are also more inclined to wander into dense woodland, a habitat that females generally avoid.

Giraffes drink large quantities of water and as a result, they can spend long periods of time in dry, arid areas. When searching for more food they will venture into areas with denser foliage. The giraffe has tough lips to ensure there is no damage to their mouths when chewing at trees and twigs such as thorns.

Giraffes in captivity are generally fed on alfalfa hay and pellets, apples, carrots, bananas and browse (elm and alder are favourites).

Giraffe Behaviour

Female giraffes associate in groups of a dozen or so members, occasionally including a few younger males. Male giraffes tend to live in bachelor herds, with older males often leading solitary lives. A individual giraffe can join or leave the herd at any time and for no particular reason.

Because giraffes are so widely scattered, it may seem that they do not keep in contact with each other, however, this is not true. A giraffes keen eyesight means they can keep an eye on their neighbours even at a distance.

Female giraffes spend just over half a 24 hour day browsing, male giraffes spend less time doing this – about 43% of the time that the female does. Night is mostly spent lying down ruminating, especially in the hours after dark and before dawn.

Male giraffes spend about 22% of the 24 hours walking, compared to 13% for female giraffes. The rest of the time male giraffes are searching for a female giraffe to mate with. Giraffe herds do not have a leader and individual giraffes show no particular preferences for others in the herd.

Young giraffes are never left alone, however, they are looked after in a kind of nursery group where the females help look after each others calves (baby giraffes).

Giraffes spend up to half their time feeding and most of the remainder is taken up either by searching for food or slowly digesting what they have eaten. Sometimes giraffes sleep during the daytime, often while standing.

Giraffes normally lie down only at night, tucking their feet under the body and usually keeping the head upright. However, when a giraffe is sleeping, something it does only for just a few minutes at a time, it curves its neck around and rests its head on or near its behind.

One of the most fascinating elements of giraffe behaviour is the duel between males fighting for mating partners. Giraffe duels are among the most extraordinary in the animal kingdom. Duels begin when two males approach each other and engage in rubbing and intertwining their necks. This behaviour is known as ‘necking’. It allows the opponents to assess each others size and strength.

Often, necking alone is enough to establish dominance. If not, the rivals begin to exchange blows with their heads, using their short horns to tackle each other.

Each giraffe braces its front legs and swings its head upward and over its shoulder. If a blow lands solidly, the giraffe may stagger under the impact and in rare cases may even collapse onto the ground. More often the contest breaks off after a few minutes and the loser simply walks away.

Giraffe Reproduction

The Giraffe breeding season can occur at any time during the year. However, births in the wild usually happen during the dry season and births in captivity can happen all year round. Giraffes reach sexual maturity in captivity at around 3 – 4 years old, however, in the wild, males do not usually breed until they are 6 – 7 years old. In contrast to the male breeding age, females must be physically larger to carry offspring.

When male giraffes are ready to breed, they begin the ritual combat over mates. Giraffes are non- territorial and a successful male giraffe will mate with receptive female giraffes whenever and wherever it finds them.

Gestation period is usually 13 – 15 months and when a pregnant female giraffe is ready to give birth, she makes her way to a calving area that she will use throughout her life. The moment of birth is dramatic, with the mother giraffe standing on all fours and the calf tumbling onto the ground. Remarkably, the calf is rarely injured by its fall.

Newborn giraffes are often on their feet within 20 minutes and are soon feeding on their mothers milk. Calves can walk about an hour after birth and can run within 24 hours of birth. Giraffe calves are about 2 metres (6 feet) tall at birth and weigh 104 – 154 pounds. Giraffe calves grow about 3 centimetres tall each day during the first week and double their height in their first year.

By the age of one year giraffe calves can measure 10 feet tall. Giraffe calves are weaned at one year and become fully independent by 15 months of age. Female giraffe calves are fully grown by age five and male giraffe calves by the age of seven.

Young giraffes may suckle for up to a year, however, they start to sample plants just a few weeks after birth. Giraffe calves are ready to leave the protection of their mother after 15 – 18 months of development.

Giraffe Predators

Adult giraffes generally have no predators other than lions and humans, as their huge hooves are very effective in defending against predators. Giraffes are more vulnerable when they are lying down or drinking, because this gives lions the opportunity to leap up and seize them by the nose or throat.

Newly born calves are at much greater risk. Despite their mothers best efforts to protect them, over 50 percent of all giraffe newborns are killed by hyenas and big cats such as lions and leopards during the first month of their life. In captivity, giraffes have lived over the age of 30 years, however, their maximum life span in the wild is about 25 years.

Giraffe Sounds

Giraffes are usually silent although they can bellow, grunt or snort when alarmed, as when confronted by lions, and can also moo in distress.

Hold your mouse over the giraffe photo and you may be able to hear a giraffe grunt. (ie only)

Calves (young giraffes) bleat and make a mewing call, cows (female giraffes) seeking lost calves will bellow and courting bulls (male giraffes) may emit a raucous cough. Giraffes also give alarm snorts, whereby moaning, snoring, hissing and flute like sounds have been reported. Giraffes also give out a grunting sound that sounds like a pig.

Giraffe Adaptations

Giraffes have amazing adaptions that help them with their lifestyle in the wild. Because giraffes grow to a very tall height, it gives them access to a level of foliage beyond reach of all other large browsing animals all except possibly, the elephant.

Along with their height, giraffes have an incredible array of adaptations. For example, their skin coloring provides excellent camouflage, as it has many different patches of variable size and color.

Giraffes skin is very thick, so it provides ample protection and insulation. Also, the giraffe’s long eyelids keep out ants and sense thorns on the branches of the trees from which they browse. The valves in veins of the neck control a huge rush of blood to the head when leaning over; this prevents unconsciousness.

There is also a network of capillaries in the brain called the ‘wonder-net’. It acts rather like a shock absorber and is another part of the system that prevents unconsciousness. (Also see ‘Giraffe Anatomy‘ for more facts about the giraffes neck).

A giraffes tongue is over 18 inches (46 centimetres) long, and the roof of the mouth is grooved to easily strip leaves off branches. Since giraffes are extremely efficient at processing nutrients and liquids from food, they can survive without water for long periods of time. Giraffes ruminate day or night, with periods of sleep in between.

Giraffes also rest with their eyes open, standing or lying for three to five minutes at a time. Throughout the night, a giraffe may deeply sleep for five to 10 minutes lying down, yet they rarely sleep more than 20 minutes total per day.

Giraffe Conservation Status

Like many of Africa’s large mammals, giraffes have declined in numbers and in range over the last century. At one time, herds of over 100 animals were common in savanna regions across the continent, however, today concentrations like these exist only in East Africa particularly Tanzania Serengeti National Park.

The decline of giraffe populations has largely been due to hunting. In Africa, the giraffe is a traditional source of hide and hair and also of tough but nutritious meat. Hunting of giraffes has not yet had a catastrophic effect, as it has on some of Africa’s big-game animals, but it is a cause for concern. The natural habitat of the giraffe is also being impacted more and more by human activities, reducing the animals range.

The giraffe is currently a protected species throughout most of its range and is classed as conservation-dependent by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The giraffes prospects for survival are good for those living in national parks and game reserves, but for animals living outside these areas the future is less secure.

Giraffe FAQs

How tall is a giraffe?

The giraffe is the tallest living animal on land. Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3 to 5.7 m (14.1 to 18.7 ft) tall, with males taller than females. Despite its long neck and legs, the giraffe’s body is relatively short.

A giraffe’s neck can be up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft) in length. It results from a disproportionate lengthening of the cervical vertebrae, not from the addition of more vertebrae. Each cervical vertebra is over 28 cm (11 in) long. The giraffe’s elongation of the neck largely takes place after birth, because giraffe mothers would have a difficult time giving birth to young with the same neck proportions as adults.

It has been suggested that competitive pressure from smaller browsers, like kudu, steenbok and impala, encouraged the elongation of the giraffe’s neck, as it enabled giraffes to reach food that competitors could not. Giraffes can feed up to 4.5 m (15 ft) high.

What sound does a giraffe make?

Early biologists suggested giraffes were mute and unable to produce air flow of sufficient velocity to vibrate their vocal folds. However, they have been recorded communicating using snorts, sneezes, coughs, snores, hisses, bursts, moans, grunts, growls and flute-like sounds. During nighttime, giraffes appear to hum to each other above the infrasound range.

During courtship, males emit loud coughs. Females also call their young by bellowing. Calves will emit snorts, bleats, mooing and mewing sounds.

How long does a giraffe live?

Giraffes have an unusually long lifespan compared to other ruminants, and can live to up to 38 years. Adult giraffes are not usually preyed on because of their size, eyesight and powerful kicks, however, lions can prey on smaller individuals and giraffes are a common food source for big cats. Adult females are a lot more likely to survive if the group in which they socialize is bigger.

Giraffe calves are much more vulnerable than adults and are also preyed on by leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs. A quarter to a half of giraffe calves reach adulthood. Calves born during the dry season have higher survival rates.

What do giraffes eat?

Giraffes are herbivores and are known to eat up to 60 different species of plant. They most commonly eat from acacia trees but also browse for wild apricots, flowers, fruits and buds along with eating seeds and fresh grass just after the rains. When stressed, giraffes may chew the bark off branches.

A giraffe eats around 34 kg (75 lb) of foliage daily. They mostly eat during the first and last hours of daytime. They get 70% of their moisture from their food so need to drink very little. In fact, they can survive for up to three weeks without drinking water. However, when they do come across clean water, they must splay their front legs (which are longer than the back) in order to get their head close enough to the ground to drink.

Giraffe requires less food than many other herbivores because the foliage it eats has more concentrated nutrients and it has a more efficient digestive system. As a ruminant, giraffes first chew food, then swallow it for processing and then visibly passes the half-digested cud up the neck and back into the mouth to chew again.

Their height helps them to reach branches and leaves that other animals cannot. Competition for food is thought to be the main reason why their necks are so long. They use their prehensile lips and flattened, grooved teeth are able to strip the leaves off the branches.

How do giraffes sleep?

Giraffes usually sleep lying down, although standing sleeps have been recorded, particularly in older individuals. In captivity, a giraffe sleeps intermittently around 4.6 hours per day, mostly at night, but in the wild they can sleep as little as 5 to 30 minutes in a 24 hour period. The most common amount of sleep for giraffes is between one and two hours.

Giraffes also go through intermittent short “deep sleep” phases. These are characterised by the giraffe bending its neck backwards and resting its head on the hip or thigh.

Where do giraffes live?

Giraffes are native to Kenya, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Angola, and South Africa. They were originally found in over 20 African nations but are now extinct in seven nations – Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal. Most giraffes live in East Africa, although some are found in the reserves of Southern Africa. The largest concentration of these animals are found in National Parks.

The different subspecies of giraffe live in different countries in Africa, but certain species have declining populations in areas, mostly due to habitat loss and poaching. The Uganda giraffe historically lived in western Kenya, Uganda, and southern Sudan, but now survives in only a few small, isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. The Nigerian giraffe is now found in just one area of Niger. The reticulated giraffe lives in Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and northern Kenya.

Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands, where there are large amounts of foliage for them to feed on. Their coloring helps them to blend in with their surroundings, but they are so large that they are safer in numbers instead of trying to hide.

Because giraffes feed on vegetation that is high in the trees but also too woody for the mouths of smaller herbivores, they are also able to remain in areas where domestic grazing has obliterated the plant species close to the ground.

What is a group of giraffes called?

How does a giraffe move?

Giraffes have two ways of moving, a loping walk and a gallop. When they walk, the giraffes move both feet on one side of their body in unison, followed by both feet on the other side. When they run, giraffes move the front feet together, then the back feet, swinging the hind feet up and planting them in front of the forefeet. While running, the neck of a giraffe moves backward and forward to keep the animal balanced. Giraffes have a top speed of about 56 kilometres per hour (35 miles per hour), however, because its legs are so long a galloping giraffe does not appear to be going very fast.

Giraffes are not great travelers, despite their long legs. Giraffes cannot walk over swampy ground because their hooves quickly sink and they very rarely wade across rivers. Giraffes on opposite banks of a river may never come into contact, unless the water levels drop.

How does a giraffe bend down?

For giraffes, bending down is a daily challenge. To reach ground level for example, when drinking a giraffe has to splay its front legs at an angle of almost 45 degrees.

A giraffes circulatory system is also specially modified, because the high pressure needed to pump blood up to its head could cause brain damage when the head is lowered. To deal with this problem, giraffes have elastic blood vessels that relieve some of the excess pressure.

Giraffes also have a series of valves in their neck veins that ensure that blood always flows from the head back towards the heart, even when this means going against gravity.

When giraffes do bend down to drink at water holes, it is commonly done in pairs. This is so that one giraffe can drink, whilst the other keeps an eye open for predators.

Контрольно-проверочные задания: 7 класс
Итоговая контрольно-проверочная работа за год

Время на выполнение работы: 40 минут
Максимальное количество баллов: 60 (+30)

I. Give English equivalents to these words and word combinations (10 points):

II. Fill in the blanks with phrasal verbs (10 points):

1) In a warm room ice soon __________ into water. 2) I’m afraid we’ll have to __________ with these books. These are as many as I’ve got. 3) I’m afraid the news has been a bit of a shock for Laura. She still can’t __________ over it. 4) Poor Joe didn’t say anything, he got very red in the face and __________ out of the room. 5) When I go somewhere with my granny I always help her to __________ on and off the bus. 6) It’s seven o’clock, it’s time for us to __________ off. Our train leaves in an hour. 7) I __________ the bag inside out looking for the key, but never found it. 8) I don’t like it when people __________ their friends down. 9) I think you should __________ your room before your party. 10) What’s happening? Why are these children __________ in and out of the classrooms?

III. Put in the missing articles ‘a’ or ‘the’ where necessary (15 points):

IV. Open the brackets and complete with the proper verb forms (25 points).

A) – Can I ____________________ (have) my book back, Chris? – Sorry, I ____________________ (not, read) it yet. But I ____________________ (think) I ____________________ (read) it by Saturday. Then I ____________________ (bring) it to you myself. – __________ you __________ (like) it? – Oh, yes. Very much. Yesterday I __________________ (read) it for five hours non-stop. When mother _________________ (come) into my bedroom at twelve o’clock ____________________ (say) «good night» to me I still ____________________ (read) it.

B) Last Sunday Alice’s neighbour _________________ (ask) her _________________ (keep) her cat Fluff for three days when she _________________ (be) away on business. She _________________ (say) the cat _________________ (be) no trouble. But when Alice _________________ (wake) up the next morning she _________________ (notice) than the cat _________________ (eat) all the goldfish. When Alice _________________ (leave) for school the cat _________________ (sleep) peacefully in the sun. When the girl _________________ (come) home the cat _________________ (disappear). It _________________ (take) poor Alice two hours _________________ (find) Fluff in someone’s garden where the cat _________________ (run) after birds.

Extra Task.

V. Translate the sentences into English (30 points):

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Мини-рассказы о животных для детей (Wild animals)