Okapi
Okapia johnstoni
Location in Zoo 2
Congo Gorilla Forest
Habitat 3
Okapis live in the dense tropical rainforests of Central Africa at middle elevation. They also frequent riverbanks, stream beds and areas of secondary growth.
Diet 3
Okapis eat leaves, buds, and shoots primarily, found along well-trodden paths in the forest. They also eat grasses, fruits, ferns, and fungi, and get their salt requirements from clay from riverbanks.
Adaptations 3
Physical adaptations of okapis include their unique color pattern: chocolate brown with white horizontal stripes on legs and hind quarters. This coloration allows them to camouflage with the dense vegetation and rotting leaves of their habitat. Much like their closest living relatives, giraffes, okapis have a long black tongue, ideal for plucking vegetation from tree branches. Male Okapis have skin-covered horns, which can be used for defense against predators as well as confrontation between males.
As for their behavior, okapis are solitary animals; they will usually be found alone or in mother/calf pairs, with the exception of during mating season. With a gestation period of 440 days, calfs have plenty of time to develop inside their mothers and, like most ungulates, can walk only 30 minutes after birth. Mother and calf hide themselves in nests while the calf matures, allowing for rapid growth and protection from predators. During this time calfs rarely nurse and don't defecate, which helps them remain undetected by predators.
Conservation Status/ Threats 3
Okapis still exist in large numbers and are not listed, therefore, as a threatened species. They are protected, however, due to threats such as deforestation, and poaching.
Family Name/ Living Relatives 3
Family name: Giraffidae
Closest living relative: Giraffe
Sources 3
http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/okapi/okapi.htm#5
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Okapia_johnstoni/
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/okapi
Sources and Credits
- (c) congobronxzoo, all rights reserved
- Adapted by congobronxzoo from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapia_johnstoni
- (c) congobronxzoo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
