Adaptations of Mom the Giraffe
• Neck: Giraffes use their long necks to reach for leaves high in trees. They only have seven vertebrae in their necks, the same as humans. Their neck has evolved over time in longer length
due to competition of food. • Legs: Their front legs are longer than their back legs, which
also helps them to reach the treetops.• Storage of Water: Living in a dry climate, giraffes have a hump
in their back like a camel to store water as they travel.
• Sleep: Giraffes sleep for about only 5-30 minutes in 1 day and only a few members of the herd sleep at a time. They have adapted over time to this due to the increase of death during
sleep. • Herds: Giraffes travel in herds because it rare that a lion will go after an adult giraffe when
not sleeping. They are hard to tell apart and will surround young to protect them. • Sounds: Make a variety of sounds, including moos, roars, snorts, hisses, and grunts. They
just very rarely do so. One sound giraffes make when they’re alarmed is a snort. These sounds help other herd members able to protect themselves.
Behavioral
Structural
Mammal
Adaptations Of Dad the Elephant
• Muscular trunk: serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signaling device and a tool for
gathering food, tap water, dusting, digging and a variety
of other functions.
• Ears: large ears to hear predators and to keep in heat
in colder temperatures and release heat in heat
• Body Covering: no fur, allowing the body to cool
quickly in warm temperatures
Structural Behavioral
Mammal
• Migration: African elephants usually migrate at the
beginning of the dry season, between June and November;
heading toward more hospitable locations near rivers and water sources that are not
prone to drying. • Travel in Herds: 8-100
elephants travel in a herd for protection and to help raise
young.• Communication: elephants
communication through sounds of their trunks,
pounding of their feet or spraying of water to allow the
herd to get food, water or protection from predators.
Elephant Habitat:
Sahara with forest inhabiting
western and
central regions of Africa and
Savanna Desert in Eastern and
Southern Africa
Giraffe Habitat: Sahara
Desert in Eastern and Southern
Africa. Open plains of the
African Savanna inhabiting western and central regions
of Africa
Mom’s and Dad’s Habitat
# Trait Giraffe Elephant
1 Body Type Tall and Thin Short and Stocky
2 Body Coat Spotted Fur Coat Solid Folded Rough Skin
3 Color Brown/Tan Gray
4 Feet Hoofed Feet (12 in) Elephant Feet
5 Teeth No Tusk Tusk
6 Tail 8 Foot 4 Foot
7 Eyes Large/ Side Small/ Side
8 Sex Female Male
9 Nose Giraffe Nose Trunk
10 Ears Little Ears Floppy Ears
11 Weight 1500-300 lbs 6000-15000lbs
12 Front Legs 8-10 feet 6 feet
13 Back Legs 8 feet 5 feet
14 Tongue 18 inches 6 inches
15 Skull Horn-Like Shape Honeycomb Shape
16. Neck Long Short
Parent’s Traits
Girelephant: AA Trunk
AaTrunk
AaTrunk
aaNo Trunk
AA Spots
AaSpots
AaSpots
aaNo Spots
AA Tall
AaTall
AaTall
aaShort
AA Short Neck
AaShort Neck
AaShort Neck
aaLong Neck
# Trait Homozygous
Dominant
AA
Heterozygous
Aa
Homozygous
Recessive
aa
1 Body Type Tall and Thin Tall and Thin Short and Stocky
2 Body Coat Spotted Fur Coat Spotted Fur Coat Solid Folded Rough Skin
3 Color Gray Gray Brown/Tan
4 Feet Elephant Feet Elephant Feet Hoofed Feet (12 in)
5 Teeth No Tusk No Tusk Tusk
6 Tail 4 Foot 4 Foot 8 Foot
7 Eyes Small/ Side Small/ Side Large/ Side
8 Sex Female Female Male
9 Nose Trunk Trunk Giraffe Nose
10 Ears Floppy Ears Floppy Ears Little Ears
11 Weight 1500-3000 lbs 1500-3000lbs 6000-15000lbs
12 Front Legs 8 feet 8 feet 6 feet
13 Back Legs 5 feet 5 feet 8 feet
14 Tongue 18 inches 18 inches 6 inches
15 Skull Honeycomb Shape Honeycomb Shape Horn-Like Shape
16. Neck Long Long Short
Offspring: A New Species Is BornGirelephant Genetics Trait Key
Adaptations and Evolution of the Calf
Habitat: The best climate for the Girelephant calf (Luther) is the desert in Africa.
Adaptations:• The short and stocky body and a spotted gray fur coat helps keep Luther warm and camouflaged at night in the cool desert. His long neck and legs help him see his predators from a far distance. His ears and eyes help him hear predators coming, allowing him to use his trunk to alert the other members of the herd. • Luther’s trunk also helps him bathe and drink water. His long tongue, neck and tusk help him have easy access to food low on the ground in a log or high up in the trees. The nice thing about Luther is that he can store water for weeks at a time, in his hump on his back (which he inherited from his mother) a crucial adaptation to have in the hot desert climate.
GIRELEPHANT RHINOSTER EAGOLF
COLD MILK
Hair
Live Birth
4 legsNo Wings
Trunk