Giraffoids | Giraffoidea
No one still knows the origins of the Giraffoidea. These extant giraffes that once ruled the African landscape are thought to be large, with elongated legs and necks. This superfamily contains families like Giraffidae, Antilocapridae, and Climacoceratidae. Extant members include giraffes, okapi, and pronghorn. It is thought that their bodies were covered in reddish to brown markings mixed in a white background that reached the knee. Below the knee, the coat was chocolate. Males and females had the skin covered with indeciduous bony horns over the frontoparietal suture or completely lack them. Another feature about these even-toed ungulates is that their lower incisive canine had a bifid or trifid crown.
The Okapi is the giraffe’s only living relative. We can find this endangered animal in the Ituri Rainforest. It has a short neck and legs, but among the features it shares with the giraffe include a fur covered in ossicones and a specialized tongue, teeth, and stomach. Otherwise, you may think it is a cross between a deer and a zebra.
There are less than a hundred thousand giraffes left in the wild, and this number is slowly reducing because of human activities destroying their habitat, climate change, civil unrest, and illegal poaching. While the entire giraffe species is vulnerable, two species, the Kordofan and Nubian giraffe are considered critically endangered by the IUCN.
There are so many things that a giraffe symbolizes. Its beautiful body and coat color symbolize sexuality and pride, while its tall stance and long neck the ability to look into the future. Other communities also think that its gentleness, peace, and social nature symbolize peace and harmony, and when it appears in your dreams, prepare yourself for hard times.
