Okapi animal or pygmy forest giraffe: description, photo, video about okapi life. Interesting facts about okapi Okapi animal description

OKAPI ( Okapia johnstoni) - artiodactyl animal of the giraffe family. Endemic to Zaire. Inhabits tropical rain forests, where it feeds on shoots and leaves of milkweeds, as well as the fruits of various plants.

This is a rather large animal: body length is about 2 m, height at the shoulders is 1.5-1.72 m, weight is about 250 kg. Unlike the giraffe, the okapi has a moderately long neck. Long ears, large expressive eyes and a tail ending in a tassel complement the appearance of this largely mysterious animal. The coloration is very peculiar: the body is reddish-brown, the legs are white with dark transverse stripes on the thighs and shoulders. Males have a pair of small, skin-covered horns with horn "tips" on their heads, which are replaced annually. The tongue is long and thin, bluish in color.

We take a giraffe, add a zebra to it and get OKAPI.

The story of the discovery of the okapi is one of the biggest zoological sensations of the 20th century. The first information about an unknown animal was received in 1890 by the famous traveler G. Stanley, who managed to get to the virgin forests of the Congo basin. In his report, Stanley said that the pygmies who saw his horses were not surprised (contrary to expectations!) And explained that similar animals are found in their forests. A few years later, the then governor of Uganda, the Englishman Johnston, decided to check Stanley's words: the information about unknown "forest horses" seemed ridiculous. However, during the 1899 expedition, Johnston managed to find confirmation of Stanley's words: first, the pygmies, and then the white missionary Lloyd, described to Johnston the appearance of the "forest horse" and reported its local name - okapi.

And then Johnston was even more lucky: in Fort Beni, the Belgians gave him two pieces of okapi skin! They were sent to London to the Royal Zoological Society. Examination of them showed that the skin does not belong to any of the known species zebras, and in December 1900 the zoologist Sclater published a description of a new species of animal, giving it the name "Johnston's horse."

Only in June 1901, when a full skin and two skulls were sent to London, it turned out that they did not belong to a horse, but were close to the bones of long-extinct animals. It was, therefore, a completely new species. That's how it was legitimized modern name okapi is a name that has been common for thousands of years among the pygmies from the forests of Ituri. However, okapi remained almost inaccessible. For a long time, requests from zoos were also unsuccessful.

It was not until 1919 that the Antwerp Zoo received the first young okapi, who lived in Europe for only 50 days. Several more attempts ended in failure. However, in 1928, a female okapi named Tele arrived at the Antwerp Zoo. She lived until 1943 and died of starvation already during the Second World War. And in 1954, the first okapi cub was born in the same Antwerp zoo, which, unfortunately, soon died. The first fully successful breeding of the okapi was achieved in 1956 in Paris.

Currently, in Epulu (Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa) there is a special station for catching live okapis. According to some reports, okapi are kept in 18 zoos in the world and successfully breed.

We still know little about the life of the okapi in the wild. Few Europeans saw this animal in general in a natural setting. The distribution of okapi is limited to a relatively small area in the Congo Basin, occupied by dense and inaccessible tropical forests. However, even within this woodland okapi are found only in a few lightened places near rivers and glades, where green vegetation from the upper tier descends to the ground.

Under the continuous canopy of the forest, okapi cannot live - they simply have nothing to eat. The food of the okapi is mainly leaves: with their long and flexible tongue, the animals capture the young shoot of the bush and then rip off the foliage from it with a sliding motion. Only occasionally do they graze on lawns with grass. As studies by the zoologist De Medina have shown, the okapi is quite picky in the choice of food: out of 13 plant families that form the lower tier of the rainforest, it regularly uses only 30 species. Okapi litters were also found charcoal and brackish, saltpeter-containing clay from the banks of forest streams. Apparently, this is how the animal compensates for the lack of mineral feed. Okapis feed during daylight hours.

Okapi are solitary animals. Only during mating, the female joins the male for several days. Sometimes such a pair is accompanied by last year's cub, to which the adult male does not experience hostile feelings. Pregnancy lasts about 440 days, childbirth occurs in August - October, during the rainy season. For childbirth, the female retires to the most remote places, and the newborn cub lies hidden in the thicket for several days. The mother finds him by his voice. The voice of adult okapi resembles a quiet cough due to the lack of vocal cords. The same sounds are made by the cub, but it can also moo softly like a calf or occasionally whistle softly. The mother is very attached to the baby: there are cases when the female tried to drive even people away from the cub. Of the sense organs, the okapi has the most developed hearing and sense of smell.

Okapis live in the tropical forests of Africa in the Congo Basin (Zaire). These are small, very timid animals, similar in color to a zebra, from the giraffe family. Okapi usually graze alone, silently making their way through the forest thickets. Okapis are so sensitive that even pygmies cannot sneak up on them. They lure these animals into traps.

With its forty-centimeter tongue, the okapi can do amazing things, such as licking behind its black ears with a red border. Inside the mouth on both sides it has pockets in which it can store food.

Okapis are very neat animals. They like to take care of their skin for a long time.

It has not yet been possible to fully study the life and habits of the okapi. Due to unsettled political power in the Congo, with constant civil wars, and because of the fearfulness and secrecy of animals, little is known about their life in freedom. Deforestation undoubtedly affects the population. According to the most rough estimates, there are only 10-20 thousand individuals of the okapi. There are 45 of them in zoos around the world.

Both males and females have their own foraging areas, but these are not territorial animals, their holdings overlap, and sometimes okapis can graze together in small groups during short period time. Okapis are also known to communicate with each other using low "puffing" sounds and rely on hearing in the surrounding forest where they are unable to see very far.

They feed mainly on leaves, herbs, fruits, and fungi, some of which are known to be poisonous. It has been suggested that this is why, in addition, okapis also eat charcoal from burnt trees, which is an excellent antidote after ingesting toxins. Along with the consumption of a huge variety of plant material, okapi also eat clay, which provides their body with the necessary salts and minerals in its plant-based diet.

The animal has a very unusual view: velvety coat of dark chocolate color with red tints, the limbs are decorated with intricate transverse black and white patterns, and on the head (only in males) - two small horns.

Okapi animal is the only representative of its kind from the Giraffe family, which belongs to the Artiodactyl order.

The external data of a wild animal is somewhat reminiscent of a horse, and besides, there are characteristic white stripes on its shins that can confuse you and make you think that this is a zebra.

We hasten to assure you that this is not so, and in this article, we will lift the veil of secrets and tell you the whole truth about these very shy and secretive animals.

The body length of an adult reaches 2.5 meters, growth at the withers is from 152 to 173 cm. The tail is average 35-45 cm, weight reaches up to 255 kg. The eyes are pronounced, the ears are large and long. The tongue of the beast is so long that he is able to lick his eyes with it.

On the head of the animal there are two small horns, but only the male, the female does not have them. It is noteworthy that the female is several centimeters taller than the male.

The color of the coat of a chocolate-colored mammal, the coat is smooth and velvety, it shimmers in a scarlet hue. The legs are long, of course not as long as those, but much stronger and more powerful. They have whitish or dark tones, the muzzle is black and white. The neck is long and endowed with powerful and elastic muscles.

The okapi animal lives in central Africa in the Republic of the Congo. Preferred places for living and breeding are tropical dense forests in the northern and eastern parts of the country. These places have the status of reserves, such as:

• Virunga;
• Salonga;
• Maiko;

Many lovers of these exotic are interested in total animals living in this area. Nobody has official data, because this species leads a secretive life. According to unofficial data, there are from 40 to 55 thousand of them, and in zoos different countries there are no more than 162 of them.

It is sad, but we have to admit that every year their number is steadily declining due to constant deforestation, thereby forcing the population to look for new places to live. The fact is that the okapi is very difficult to adapt to unfamiliar territories, and often simply dies. The body of this species of animals is stress-resistant, which also adversely affects their numbers.

The diet of the mountain giraffe, also called the okapi, is no different from its counterpart, the common giraffe. It actively eats the deciduous part of woody plants.

The beast captures with its long and powerful tongue a young shoot, sliding a little pulling towards itself, rips off the entire leafy part. But that's not all the food he can eat. Here are a few other types of food he often eats:

• Mushrooms;
• Fruit;
• ferns;

However, our hero is very picky about food. Scientists have recorded that out of 14 plant families, he pays royal attention to only 29 species of herbs.

Charcoal and clay were found in the animal's feces, which he eats off the coast. forest rivers. Apparently, okapi replenishes the deficiency of minerals in the body.

They eat in the daytime and spend all the activity of their life in the daytime. After dusk, they stay overnight in the same place. Mostly they lead a solitary lifestyle, but they can stray into small groups. What makes them do this is not known for certain.

Period mating season occurs from May to the end of July. The animal brings offspring of the okapi during the rainy season from August to October, until this time the female carries the baby in her womb for more than 450 days.

When it comes important point, the female tries to go to the most thorny places in order to give birth in complete solitude. For some time the baby is left alone. When she returns to give the baby her fatty milk, she makes special sounds to which the little okapi responds, the sound of the cub more often resembles a cough.

At first, the mother protects her offspring, there were such situations that she even attacked people in order to protect her offspring.

AT wild nature the animal lives no more than 30 years. Under special conditions of keeping and feeding, it can live up to 40 years.

More more photos with okapi in good resolution is possible.

P.S.

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With the phrase “pygmy giraffes”, the imagination automatically helpfully provides a picture of an animal familiar from childhood, only in a smaller copy. However, the reality is not quite like that. Outwardly, this amazing animal does not at all resemble its long-necked relative. What is the real name of a pygmy giraffe? Where does he live? Under what circumstances was this amazing creature discovered?

Homeland okapi

AT natural environment okapis live in only one single place on our planet - in the northeastern Democratic territory. This is a swampy area located between three large lakes, overgrown with impenetrable rainforest.

It is in these wilds that dwarf giraffes hide. How they turned out to be a suitable place for a quiet life of animals is also evidenced by the fact that they became known to science only in 1901. And this news made a real sensation in the circles of specialists.

Discovery of a new mammal

For the first time, G. M. Stanley, an African explorer, casually mentioned an unknown animal in his book. This fact seriously interested Harry Johnston, who was at that time the governor of Uganda. Information about the okapi (as the local aboriginal pygmies called this animal) could only be collected bit by bit. And in the literal sense of the word.

First, Johnston got hold of a couple of okapi skin scraps. Then he managed to see two skulls and a whole skin. Upon receiving a copy of the okapi skull, Johnston immediately realized that the animal was a giraffe. He sent all the data to London. There the new kind received official name- Okapi Johnston.

strange combination

Dwarf okapi giraffes look pretty cute, but it's hard to dismiss the idea that this is some incredible combination of different animals. From the croup to the middle of the hind legs, they have a color like that of a zebra. The same stripes are on the upper part of the front legs. Below, all four limbs are completely white, but at the base of the hooves there is a wide

The shape of the body is most reminiscent of an antelope, but the size of an okapi is about the size of a horse. and long, and the horns are almost invisible. But with their tongues, pygmy giraffes can compete even with an anteater. It is so long that the animal calmly cleans its eyes and ears with it, both inside and out.

Okapi language of blue color, like a chow-chow dog or a giraffe. With this very sticky and mobile organ, they deftly tear off the delicate foliage from the trees.

habits

Up to today we know little about the habits of animals in their natural environment. Basically, all observations are made for individuals in captivity.

Okapi feed on leaves and young shoots of trees. BUT minerals and the necessary salts are extracted directly from the clay, which is eaten along with vegetable food.

Until recently, it was even believed that okapi were nocturnal. However, it is not. It’s just that these shy creatures are very cautious, and it’s almost impossible to stumble upon them during the day. Okapis have extremely sensitive hearing. Therefore, it is not easy for predators, and for humans too, to catch them by surprise.

The pygmy giraffe, whose name is so unusual for our ears, can live in captivity for more than three decades.

Pregnancy in females lasts more than a year - approximately 15 months. For childbirth, okapi choose remote, hard-to-reach corners. Babies are fed milk for six months.

Okapi prefer a solitary lifestyle. They have a marked territory, but it often happens that pasture areas of several individuals may overlap. They are also very difficult to tolerate habitat changes, so they are rarely seen in zoos.

Bulldozer - Apr 22nd, 2015

Okapi are the only relatives of giraffes, despite the fact that their necks are not long. They look as if they are made up of parts of different animals: legs, like a zebra, in black and white stripes, the head is gray, and the neck, body and round ears are brown. The okapi's tongue is so large that they can even use it to clean their ears. The height of pygmy giraffes at the withers is 150-170 cm, and they weigh about 200 kg.

Okapi live in small areas in the western part Central Africa, in the humid jungle. They feed mainly on leaves, young branches and various tropical species spurge plants and sometimes include berries and herbs in their diet. At the same time, they pinch only the most tender shoots.

Pygmy giraffes are solitary and meet with other individuals only for mating. This can happen at any time of the year. The offspring stay with their mother for several years.

Since the animals are quite large and well protected, natural enemies they have almost none. An okapi can be attacked by a leopard, hyena or crocodile. Main enemy, as always, is a man who cuts down virgin forests, reducing the living space of a small giraffe.

Since these are very shy animals, Europeans noticed them only in the 19th century. The first to report the okapi was the African explorer Henry Stanley, who in 1880 saw forest giraffe by the Congo River. And only in 1901 they were described in detail and received a scientific name.

Video: okapi.

Zebra, Horse or Neither?

Okapia johnstoni
P. L. Sclater,

Peculiarities

The okapi has a chocolate-colored, velvety coat that shimmers with reddish hues. The limbs are white or light brown, the muzzle is black and white. The neck and legs are quite long, although not to the same extent as those of the related steppe giraffe. Males have two short horns, females do not have horns. The weight of an okapi is about 250 kg. The body length is about 2.1 m, the tail is 30-40 cm. The height at the withers is 150-170 cm. Females are on average slightly higher than males. The okapi's tongue is so long that the animal washes its eyes with it.

Spreading

The only state on whose territory okapi are found is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Okapis inhabit dense rainforests in the north and east of the country, such as in the reserves of Salonga, Maiko and Virunga.

The current population of the okapi in the wild is unknown. Since okapi are very fearful and secretive animals, and also live in a country corroded by civil war, little is known about their life in freedom. Deforestation, which takes away their living space, probably entails a decrease in the population. Cautious estimates of the number of okapis give numbers from 10 thousand to 20 thousand individuals living in freedom. There are 160 of them in zoos around the world.

Lifestyle

Like related giraffes, okapi feed primarily on tree leaves: with their long and flexible tongue, animals grab a young shoot of a bush and then rip off foliage from it with a sliding motion. In addition, okapi eat grasses, ferns, mushrooms, and fruits. As studies by the zoologist De Medina have shown, the okapi is quite picky in the choice of food: out of 13 plant families that form the lower tier of the rainforest, it regularly uses only 30 species. Okapi droppings also contained charcoal and brackish clay containing saltpeter from the banks of forest streams. Apparently, this is how the animal compensates for the lack of mineral feed. Okapis feed during daylight hours. .

Okapis are active during the daytime. Adult females have clearly defined areas, while the areas of males overlap and are not clearly defined. Okapi are animals that live alone. Occasionally they can be found in small groups, but for what reasons they form them is still unknown.

The okapi has a gestation period of 450 days. The birth of offspring depends on the seasons: childbirth occurs in August-October, during the rainy season. For childbirth, the female retires to the most remote places, and the newborn cub lies hidden in the thicket for several days. The mother finds him by his voice. The voice of an adult okapi resembles a quiet cough. The same sounds are made by the cub, but it can also moo softly like a calf or occasionally whistle softly. The mother is very attached to the baby: there are cases when the female tried to drive even people away from the cub. Of the sense organs, the okapi has the most developed hearing and sense of smell. . In captivity, okapi can live up to 30 years.

History of the discovery of the okapi

The story of the discovery of the okapi is one of the loudest zoological sensations of the 20th century. The first information about an unknown animal was received in 1890 by the famous traveler Henry Stanley, who managed to get to the virgin forests of the Congo basin. In his report, Stanley said that the pygmies who saw his horses were not surprised (contrary to expectations) and explained that similar animals are found in their forests. A few years later, the then governor of Uganda, the Englishman Johnston, decided to check Stanley's words: the information about unknown "forest horses" seemed ridiculous. However, during the expedition of 1899, Johnston managed to find confirmation of Stanley's words: first, the pygmies, and then the white missionary Lloyd, described to Johnston the appearance of the "forest horse" and reported its local name - okapi. And then Johnston was even more fortunate: in Fort Beni, the Belgians gave him two pieces of okapi skin. They were sent to London to the Royal Zoological Society. Examination of them showed that the skin did not belong to any known species of zebra, and in December 1900 the zoologist Sclater published a description of a new species of animal, giving it the name "Johnston's horse". Only in June 1901, when a full skin and two skulls were sent to London, it turned out that they did not belong to a horse, but were close to the bones of long-extinct animals. It was, therefore, a completely new species. Thus, the modern name okapi was legitimized - a name that had been used by the Pygmies from the Ituri forests for thousands of years. However, okapi remained almost inaccessible.

For a long time, requests from zoos were also unsuccessful. It wasn't until 1919 that the Antwerp Zoo received the first young okapi, who lived in Europe for only 50 days. Several more attempts ended in failure. However, in 1928, a female okapi named Tele arrived at the Antwerp Zoo. She lived until 1943 and died of starvation already during the Second World War. And in 1954, the first okapi cub was born in the same Antwerp zoo, which soon died. The first fully successful breeding of the okapi was achieved in 1956 in Paris. Currently, in Epulu (Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa) there is a special station for catching live okapis. .

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Categories:

• Species out of danger
• Animals alphabetically
• Mammals of Africa
• Animals described in 1901
• Giraffe
• Endemics of Africa
• living fossils
• Monotypic genera of mammals
• Animal taxa named after humans

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See what "Okapi" is in other dictionaries:

- (Negro. Okaria). Recently opened in the center. In Africa, a large mammal of the artiodactyl order, close to the giraffe, only hornless. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. okapi (African) rare ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (Okapia johnstoni), a mammal of the family. giraffe. Length body ok. 2 m, weight approx. 250 kg. The male has two small horns with annually changing horn sheaths at the ends. The ears are big. The neck is shorter than that of a giraffe. The tongue is very long. Brownish color... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

okapi- Okapi. Okapi (Okapia johnstoni), artiodactyl animal of the giraffidae family. Endemic to Zaire. Height at withers 150165. Inhabits tropical rainforests, where it feeds on shoots and leaves of milkweeds, as well as the fruits of various plants. Leads…… Encyclopedic reference book "Africa"