Giraffes are best known for their towering necks, but their beautiful, spotted coats are equally distinctive and important functions.
So why do giraffes have spots?
One reason is camouflage. Giraffe spots help to blend in with the surroundings. Irregular markings divide the animal’s contours, especially when sunlight filters through trees and shrubs. This makes it difficult to see even from just the feet, despite their huge size.
You might like it
“Depending on the vegetation they live in, they will have the right markings,” Mitchell told Live Science via email. For example, some researchers have observed that the shape of patches in giraffe coats often corresponds to the branching patterns of acacia trees, common in African savannas.
Camouflage is particularly important for young giraffes, and their survival is heavily dependent on remaining hidden from predators. A 2018 study found that larger, round spot patterns were linked to a higher calf survival rate, a connection that researchers attribute to more effective camouflage. This study also shows that the giraffe’s mother and its calves have very similar coat patterns, suggesting that some features of the giraffe’s spot shape are hereditary.
Related: Why do so many baby animals have spots?
A less obvious but equally important function of Giraff’s spot is to regulate body temperature. Giraffes can’t sweat or panties, but they live in some of the hottest environments on the planet. So how do they keep them cool? Through their spots.
Below each patch is a dense network of blood vessels. “When a giraffe needs to lose fever, the blood vessels dilate under the patch, thus sending blood to the patch,” Mitchell said. This blood approaches the surface of the skin, where it releases heat. “The thermal photographs of giraffes in hot conditions confirm this idea,” Mitchell added. Because they show that the dark patches are warmer than the surrounding skin.
The study of the masai giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi, currently under peer review, is based on the idea that spots are important for thermoregulation. We found that larger spots appear to be advantageous in cold weather, as the vessels below them can contract to save heat. In contrast, smaller spots are more beneficial in hotter conditions, as larger, darker patches tend to absorb more solar heat.
Interestingly, the researchers found that spot patterns influence the survival of adult, but not female, Masai giraffes during extreme temperature fluctuations. One possible explanation is that female giraffes tend to be more sedentary and stay in a group of calves, while men roam the wider territory and face more diverse environmental conditions.
The effects observed in the giraffes of Masai in Tanzania may also apply to other giraffes populations. Monica Bond, a wildlife biologist and research co-author at the University of Zurich, spoke to Live Science.
The coat pattern also helps giraffes recognize relatives, Bond said. In a study published in 2022, Bond and her colleagues analyzed spot characteristics such as shape, size and orientation of 399 adult Masai giraffes in the Taransian ecosystem of northern Tanzania. They discovered that Masai giraffes form stronger social bonds with giraffes whose coat patterns resemble their coats. As coat patterns are known to be inherited from mother to offspring, these results suggest that spot patterns serve as visual cues for kinship recognition.
Finally, mammal spot patterns often indicate overall health and social status, and according to a 2017 survey, they play a role in mating choices. This may be true for giraffes, but has not been studied directly, Bond said.
Rather than just a beautiful pattern, Giraffe spots are a tool for survival.
Animal Quiz: Test yourself with these fun animal trivia questions
Source link
