Giraffes, with their distinctive long necks and striking patterns, are among the most recognizable large herbivores on Earth. These towering mammals are uniquely adapted to their environment, primarily consuming vegetation that other animals cannot easily reach. Their specialized diet and feeding behaviors are central to their survival in the diverse landscapes they inhabit.
Natural Diet
In their natural habitat, giraffes are primarily browsers, feeding on leaves and shoots from trees and shrubs. Their diet predominantly features species from the Vachellia or Senegalia genera, formerly known as Acacia trees. They also consume herbs, climbers, vines, flowers, and fruits, depending on seasonal availability. Giraffes prefer new, tender shoots and leaves, and can consume up to 65 kilograms (145 pounds) of food daily.
Giraffes are selective eaters. Female giraffes, in particular, often seek a diet rich in nutrients and lower in fiber. While they obtain much of their water from the high moisture content of plants, they also engage in osteophagy, chewing on old bones to supplement their diet with calcium and phosphorus. This behavior is especially important for pregnant females. Acacia trees have developed defenses such as thorns and bitter tannins; however, giraffes utilize their specialized oral anatomy to navigate these challenges.
Feeding Adaptations
The giraffe’s physical characteristics are well-suited for its browsing diet. Their exceptionally long necks enable them to access foliage as high as 6 meters (20 feet) off the ground, reducing competition with other herbivores. A prehensile tongue, measuring between 45 to 50 centimeters (18 to 20 inches), is highly dexterous and used to strip leaves from thorny branches. This tongue is often purplish-black, thought to provide protection from sunburn.
Their tough, prehensile lips aid in navigating thorny vegetation. Giraffes possess specialized lower canine and incisor teeth that function like a comb, allowing them to efficiently strip leaves from stems. As ruminants, giraffes have a four-compartment stomach, efficient for digesting the fibrous plant material they consume. They regularly chew their cud, a process where partially digested food is brought back up to the mouth for further grinding before final digestion.
Captive Diet
In zoological settings, giraffe diets are carefully formulated to replicate their natural intake. This typically includes a combination of hay, such as alfalfa and timothy, alongside fresh browse. Zoos often provide branches and leaves from safe tree species like mulberry, elm, willow, and aspen to mimic their wild foraging habits. Specialized giraffe pellets are also a component of their captive diet, designed to provide essential vitamins and minerals that might be lacking in other food sources.
These pellets have evolved to ensure a balanced nutritional intake, moving away from past formulations that sometimes led to health issues like rumen acidosis or urinary tract problems. Nutritional balance is paramount, and care is taken to avoid toxic plant species. Enrichment strategies, such as hiding or hanging food, are employed to stimulate natural foraging behaviors. Some facilities also offer salt licks to ensure adequate mineral supplementation, especially for nutrients typically obtained through osteophagy in the wild.