The giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its specific name refers to its camel-like face and the patches of color on its fur, which bear a vague resemblance to a leopard's spots. The giraffe is noted for its extremely long neck and legs, as well as its horn-like ossicones. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. The giraffe's scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands. Their primary food source is acacia leaves, which they can browse at heights that most other herbivores cannot reach. Giraffes are preyed on by lions, and calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs. Adult giraffes do not have strong social bonds, though they do gather in loose aggregations if they happen to be moving in the same general direction. The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Least Concern, but has been extirpated from many parts of its former range, and some subspecies are classified as Endangered.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1882:

Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal, loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's epic poem Parzival about Arthurian knight Percival and his quest for the Holy Grail, officially premiered at the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, Bavaria (present-day Germany). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsifal

1887:

L. L. Zamenhof published Unua Libro, the first publication to describe Esperanto, a constructed international language. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto

1936:

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial (pictured), a memorial site near Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France, dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War, was unveiled. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Vimy_Memorial

1953:

Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl led a group of approximately 160 rebels in an unsuccessful attack on the Moncada Barracks, thus beginning the Cuban Revolution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moncada_Barracks

2007:

After widespread controversy throughout Wales, Shambo, a black Friesian bull that had been adopted by the local Hindu community, was slaughtered due to concerns about bovine tuberculosis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambo

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

lethargy: A condition of extreme drowsiness or apathy. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lethargy

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

All great truths begin as blasphemies. --George Bernard Shaw https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw