Yes, I think calling the Army or Marines recruiter would be a very good research project, and he might also call the Navy.
I have no idea what wildlife is common in this area, and I have no clue where to look for the info.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m92joTzmSCo
Today’s special animal friend is the giraffe, because some days call for charismatic megafauna. One common species is the Masai giraffe, Giraffa tippelskirchi. “What!?” you may be saying. “I thought Giraffa camelopardis included all the giraffes, and the other taxa were subspecies!” So did I, but the book about large, hoofed animals that I read to Daughter D a few years ago was out of date. Genetic research has upended biological taxonomy, and giraffes are no exception.
The most recent genetic studies indicate more species and fewer subspecies. (There is some dispute among scientists on the details.) For more information on the studies, see https://giraffeconservation.org/. There is also a nice chart at the Wikipedia article on “Giraffe,” breaking down the different classification possibilities.
There are about 35,000 Masai giraffes in the wild. They are found mainly in Tanzania and Kenya and are the largest – not most numerous – of the giraffe species. The tallest known male was 19.3 feet tall, and the tallest recorded female was 17 feet tall. The Masai giraffe is the tallest land animal on earth. A male’s average weight is over 2,500 lbs., and the heaviest recorded is 4,250 lbs. (females: 1,825 avg./2,600 heaviest). Really, really big.
The front and back legs are about the same length. What appears to be their knee is actually a carpus joint, similar to our wrists. The legs are strengthened by suspensory ligaments to support the body weight. Giraffes have two gaits, walking and galloping. When walking, the two legs on one side move at the same time, followed by the two legs on the other side. When galloping, the rear legs reach forward of the front feet before the latter move forward again. Movements of the head and neck maintain balance and control momentum when galloping. Their top speed has been measured at 37 mph, and they can maintain a speed over 30 mph for several kilometers.
A selection of cool giraffe facts:
The long neck (up to 7.9 feet) has the same number of vertebrae as those of smaller ungulates, but the vertebrae are much larger. Vertebrae are up to 11 inches long and are connected by ball-and-socket joints.The survival advantage of the long neck is disputed by scientists.
Each giraffe has a unique pattern of dark and light areas which is recognizable to others in its family/herd. The patterns are believed to aid in thermoregulation, as some areas allow more heat to dissipate through the skin.
The giraffe’s tongue is up to 18 inches long and extremely tough, allowing the animal to feed on prickly leaves and thorny branches.
Giraffes’ skin is gray, under the fir, and very thick, allowing the animal to run through forest and scrub without injury. The fur contains at least 11 different aromatic chemicals, some of which serve as deterrents to parasites such as ticks, while others may relate to mating.
I could go on about these astounding animals. Please take some time – for your own mental health! – to look up more about these animal friends! As a group, giraffes are considered Vulnerable by conservationists. The Masai giraffe is endangered. Major threats include habitat loss and hunting to reduce competition with domestic herds as well as for “bushmeat.”
The video at the top shows giraffes running.
And James is a whiner. It’s probably a survival adaptation relating to Tom, Pat, and Vlad all being so smart and tricky.
For some reason I am reminded of a Monty Python sketch. The theme of the show as anagrams. In this particular sketch the man in uniform was standing outside an office door. The sign next to him said MARY RECRUITING STATION in removable letters.
Someone walked up and asked to talk with him. He invited the gent indoors, then said, “Wait a sec” and rearranged MARY to read ARMY. Worth a chuckle.