Reproductive Behavior

It's All About Giraffes, Baby!          

  

          Reproductive behavior in giraffes is known to occur throughout the year. Females reach maturity at age four while males mature by age seven or eight. Males will migrate to different herds seeking females in estrus, or “in heat,” to mate with. Giraffe reproduction occurs through a multistep process called Flehmen response. This courtship begins when a male approaches a female from behind a nudges her hind leg, causing urination. Once the female begins to urinate, the male will drink the female’s urine to determine if she is in estrus. The male can detect this by the taste of the urine. Once the male has decided the female is in heat, he follows her until she allows him to mount her. Once conception has occurred, the female carries her calf for approximately fifteen months! Females typically give birth to one calf at a time, and remains alone with her calf for about a week to provide protection against predators. After birth, a newborn is between 5’6 and 6’6 feet tall, weighing 104 to 22o pounds!

http://cute-n-tiny.com/cute-animals/mom-and-baby-giraffe/

            Most reproduction in giraffes is polygamous, meaning that a few older males mate with all the fertile females. Usually male giraffes prefer younger females because they are in heat more often than older giraffes. In contrast, females prefer older males as mates. If a dominant male senses that another male might be trying to approach his female during courting (sexual) behavior, he will stare the other down until he leaves. Females allow this behavior to occur because they want to mate with the dominant male for as long as possible, however no long term bonds are formed between male and female. Giraffes will sometimes participate in homosexual behavior, but it mostly occurs with males.

Fun Fact of the Week: Females give birth standing up, so their calves experience a 6 foot drop to the ground! Newborns are not harmed, and are able to stand within a half hour.  

Works Cited

Alex. "30 Strangest Animal Mating Habits." Neatorama. 30 Apr. 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.      

          <http://www.neatorama.com/2007/04/30/30-strangest-animal-mating-habits/>.

"Giraffe Fact Sheet." Welcome to the National Zoo. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. 

          <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/fact-giraffe.cfm>.