What are some fun facts about okapi?
Here are a few things you may not know about the extraordinary okapi.
- Okapis Belong to the Giraffe Family.
- Their Stripes May Serve Multiple Purposes.
- Wild Okapis Only Live in One Country.
- Their Fur Is Velvety and Oily.
- They Are Rarely Seen in the Wild.
- Their Tongue Is Long Enough to Clean Their Eyes and Ears.
Why do okapi have 4 stomachs?
Its plant-based diet consists of fruits, buds, leaves, twigs, and other vegetation. Just like the giraffe and cow, the okapi has four stomachs that aid with digesting tough plants.
Why do okapi have long tongues?
Again like their giraffe cousins, okapis have tongues that are really long and prehensile. This means the tongues can actually wrap around and grab things, akin to a person’s hand. So okapis can use them to delicately pull pieces of foliage off branches and the ground.
Can okapi swim?
The natural habitat of the okapi may not be having a large water body. This is because the okapi prefers to eat leaves, and naturally, it will prefer an environment with leaves. However, if need be, the okapi can swim.
How fast can okapi run?
An Okapi can travel at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour.
Why do okapis lick their eyes?
Incredible video footage shows an okapi ‘sucking’ its eyes inwards – a tactic the species evolved to avoid getting jabbed by pointy branches in the wild. The amazing footage, posted to TikTok by Oklahoma City Zoo, shows one of its resident okapis cheekily displaying its ‘third eyelid’ to push its bulbous eyes back.
What is a okapi tongue?
The okapi tongue is purplish-black, prehensile and reaches 30cm – that’s long enough to lick its nose, ears and even its eyes. The dark colour protects the tongue from getting sunburnt as it curls around branches and vegetation, pulling it into its mouth to eat.
What sound does a okapi make?
Besides his secret subsonic language, the okapi also slings the usual bleats and whistles that you might hear from a giraffe. That’s because of all the animals he resembles, the giraffe is his closest relation. In fact, he’s often called a “forest giraffe.”
How long do okapis sleep?
The okapi only sleeps five minutes per day! It has about ten slow wave sleep phases, but they are never longer than 30 seconds each. However, the okapi likes to snooze and spends up to six hours per night on its resting place.
Are okapis friendly?
Okapis are very wary, and their highly developed hearing alerts them to run when they hear humans in the distance. In fact, while indigenous people of the Ituri Forest knew of okapis and would occasionally catch one in their pit traps, scientists did not know of okapis until 1900.
How do okapis sleep?
How Do Okapis Sleep? The okapi only sleeps five minutes per day! It has about ten slow wave sleep phases, but they are never longer than 30 seconds each. However, the okapi likes to snooze and spends up to six hours per night on its resting place.
Why do okapi have stripes?
These markings, which seem very bold to us, offer great camouflage when an okapi stands in the partial sunlight that filters through its dense rainforest habitat. The stripes may also help a young okapi follow its mother through the dark forest, and they may help adults find each other, too.
Are okapis shy?
Okapis are very shy. Their reddish brown-black coat camouflages them in the deep forest. In the thick trees and underbrush, okapis rely on their hearing to warn them of danger.
How long is an okapi tongue?
The okapi tongue is purplish-black, prehensile and reaches 30cm – that’s long enough to lick its nose, ears and even its eyes.
How fast can a okapi run?
37 miles per hour
An Okapi can travel at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour.
What are 10 interesting facts about Okapi?
10 Okapi Facts for Kids. 1. The Okapi is a relatively unknown animal that lives in the Congo. It is called the forest giraffe or the zebra giraffe is an unusual looking animal. It looks like an animal that was pieced together using other animals. 2. It has zebra like legs with a reddish body and a giraffe like body.
How do okapis mark their territory?
Like many other animals, okapis have an advanced scent marking system throughout their territory. Their scent glands are in their feet, which leave a smelly trail for other animals to translate when they pass through later. Okapi live exclusively in dense rainforests. They are perfectly adapted for forest living.
What is the difference between a giraffe and okapi?
Males also have two small horns on the tops of their heads that are covered with skin. Okapi are part of the Giraffidae family, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), which does make them relatives of giraffes. Okapi are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall.
Do okapis have horns?
Like giraffes, okapis have skin-covered horns called ossicones. However, unlike giraffes, only male Okapis have ossicones. Some females have knobbly bumps in their place. The okapi’s long, black tongue is prehensile (able to grip). It is used to pull food down to the animal’s mouth. Okapi Facts: Where Do Okapis Live?