长颈鹿科,源自阿拉伯语 زَرَافَة（zarāfa,"长颈鹿"）,意指该科的所有成员都与长颈鹿有关.

Giraffidae, from Arabic ⁧زَرَافَة⁩ (zarāfa, “giraffe”), in reference to the fact that all the members of this family are giraffe-related.

種的俗名 Common names of members

長頸鹿, 㺢㹢狓.

Giraffe, okapi.

分佈 Distribution 

撒哈拉以南非洲

Sub-Saharan Africa.

體型 Size

牠们是大型动物,体型从高 1.5 米、重 200-350 公斤到高 4.3-5.7 米、重 1192 公斤不等.

They are large animals, varying in size from 1.5 m tall and 200–350 kg in weight to 4.3–5.7m tall and 1,192 kg.

形態描述 Morphology

牠们有长长的脖子和腿,長而伸缩自如的舌头呈黑色,犬齿呈裂片状,皮毛上有伪装用的花纹,背部向后倾斜.有的还长着一对覆盖着皮肤的角.

They feature long necks and legs, a long, prehensile tongue that is black in color, lobed canine teeth, coats with patterns that serve as camouflage, and a back that slopes in the direction of the back. Some have ossicones, a pair of horns covered with skin.

生態與棲息地 Ecology & Habitat

热带草原和热带雨林.

Savannas and rainforests.

食性 Diet

严格的草食动物,进食模式与体型大小相关；体型较大的物种在宽阔的草地上吃高纤维植物,而体型较小的动物则在密集、封闭的环境中觅食.主要食物来源是草和树叶.

Strictly herbivores, their eating patterns are correlated with body size; larger species graze on high-fiber flora in wide grasslands, whilst smaller animals forage in dense, enclosed environments. The main source of food is grasses and leaves.

繁殖 Reproduction

牠们是一雄多雌制：少数雄性与可育雌性交配.由于发情的雌性分布在各地,有生殖力的成年雄性制定了在雌性群体中游荡以寻找交配机会的策略,大约每两周进行一次荷尔蒙诱发的发情行为.

They are polygamous: a few males mate with the fertile females. Due to the dispersion of oestrous females throughout the landscape, reproductive adult males devise a strategy of roving among female groups in search of opportunities for mating, engaging in hormone-induced rutting behavior roughly every two weeks.

已知的物種

Total species known

6595

博物館收藏的物種

Species in the collection

40

在香港已知的物種

Species in Hong Kong

287

References

Macdonald, D. W. (2006). The Encyclopedia of mammals. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199206087.001.0001.

Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Pratt, D. M., Anderson, V. H. (1985). Giraffe social behaviour. Journal of Natural History, 19(4), 771-781. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222938500770471.