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What are some fun facts about okapis?
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.
How long do okapi live for?
Males develop ossicones between one and five years. Lifespan in the wild is difficult to determine for these secretive animals but in captivity okapi can live between 15 and 20 years.
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.
Can okapis 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 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.
Why do okapi have blue tongues?
The tongue, which measures up to 14 inches (36 centimeters) in length, can be used to clean the okapi’s eyelids and ears and deter annoying insects. The blue color comes from melanin, a pigment that provides UV protection.
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.
What is the okapi diet?
Strictly herbivores, okapis’ diets consist of leaves, buds, twigs, fruits and other understory vegetation. As browsers, they consume between 45 and 60 lbs (20 and 27 kg) of vegetation each day.
Do okapis drink water?
Like a giraffe, the okapi has to spread its long legs to get close enough to the ground to get a drink of water.
What animal has black blood?
Brachiopods have black blood. Octopuses have a copper-based blood called hemocyanin that can absorb all colors except blue, which it reflects, hence making the octopus’ blood appear blue.