- Part of Speech:
- Noun
The
camelopard (
Giraffa
Camelopardalis
or
Camelopardalis
Giraffa),
a
ruminant
animal
inhabiting
various
parts
of
Africa,
and
constituting
the
only
species
of
its
genus
and
family.
It
is
the
tallest
of
all
animals,
a
full-
grown
male
reaching
the
height
of
18
or
20
feet.
This
great
stature
is
mainly
due
to
the
extraordinary
length
of
the
neck,
in
which,
however,
there
are
but
seven
vertebrae,
though
these
are
extremely
elongated.
It
has
two
bony
excrescences
on
its
head
resembling
horns.
Its
great
height
is
admirably
suited
with
its
habit
of
feeding
upon
the
leaves
of
trees,
and
in
this
the
animal
is
further
aided
by
its
tongue,
which
is
both
prehensile
and
capable
of
being
remarkably
elongated
or
contracted
at
will.
It
rarely
attempts
to
pick
up
food
from
the
ground.
Its
color
is
usually
light
fawn
marked
with
darker
spots.
It
is
a
mild
and
inoffensive
animal,
and
in
captivity
is
very
gentle
and
playful. "
The
giraffe
is,
in
some
respects,
intermediate
between
the
hollow-
horned
and
solid-
horned
ruminants,
though
partaking
more
of
the
nature
of
the
deer."-
Prof.
Owen.
...
