Many of the plant species fed upon by the okapi are known to be poisonous to humans. Why do Okapi have stripes? These markings are thought to help young follow their mothers through the dense rainforest.
The stripes also help the Okapi to camouflage away from predators. Their lower legs are white, with dark garters at the joints. The tongue of an okapi is long enough for the animal to wash its eyelids and clean its ears. What is a half zebra half horse called? A zorse is the offspring of a zebra stallion and a horse mare. This cross is also called a zebrula, zebrule, or zebra mule.
Like most other animal hybrids, the zorse is sterile. What animal is related to a giraffe? What animal looks like a zebra? Also ingest clay for its minerals, burnt charcoal, and bat guano found in hollow trees. Digestive system similar to other browsing ruminants. As in giraffes, gall bladder not present. Like its giraffe cousin, the okapi has a long, dark, prehensile tongue that allows it to easily strip buds and leaves off branches, excellent hearing and a similarly shaped triangular head.
Although it generally travels alone, scent glands on the bottom of its feet allow it to keep track of its okapi neighbors and mark its territory. Native to the Democratic Republic of Congo, okapis are mainly found within the Ituri Forest and prefer very dense tropical rainforests. While they usually remain in the thick vegetation, they also frequent nearby riverbeds. In the filtered sunlight of the rainforest understory, their bold stripes act as great camouflage.
As browsers, they consume between 45 and 60 lbs 20 and 27 kg of vegetation each day. Like their giraffe cousins, okapis are ruminants—animals with four chambered stomachs that allow the digestion of very tough plant matter. Okapis are also known to occasionally eat the clay found by riverbeds in order to meet their mineral and salt requirements.
Deforestation, along with the changing political climate in central Africa, has led to a loss of habitat for the okapi population. They are also a target for poachers because of their unique pelts and meat. The okapi baby is weaned usually at months. However, the baby may stay with the mother even for two or three years.
Usually, the okapis are quiet by nature, but can make sounds. Since okapis live in secluded rainforests, they have a lesser number of predators.
However, the most common natural predator of okapi is the leopard. Leopards attack both the adult and the young okapis, although, the latter are more vulnerable. The serval is also an enemy to these timid herbivores. Humans too pose threat to the okapis. The okapi population is low. Your email address will not be published. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Okapi Photos.
Okapi Tongue. Okapi Habitat. Okapi Eating. Baby Okapi. Okapi Baby. Okapi Predators. Okapi Images. Okapi Pictures. Related Articles Comments Arctic Wolf. Pink Fairy Armadillo.
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