Can anyone tell me about the okapi?

Question

Its a type of animal that looks like a short, brown giraffe, with black and white striped legs. I want lots of details about everything about this animal.

Answer 1

The okapi are indeed closely related to giraffes, although the striped markings on their legs resemble those of a zebra. This creature is native only to the Ituri forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which used to be called Zaire, and was not known outside of the region until the beginning of the 20th century.

Okapi are herbivores and they use their long, flexible, blue tongues to pull leaves and buds from trees. They eat a number of plant species that are poisonous to humans, and they actually satisfy their mineral nourishment requirements by eating clay.

The striped markings on the okapi's legs may serve to help the young to follow their parents, and and might also have a camouflage function. On top of their heads, the males have a pair of horns of a type called ossicones, which remain covered in skin. A full-grown okapi may be over 8 ft long and can stand 6.5 ft at the shoulder.

Okapi are active at day and sleep at night. They are typically found alone, except for mother-child pairs, though they of course come together to mate. The gestation period is over a year long at about 440 days, and the calf may be able to stand within as little as 16 minutes after birth. The baby okapi quickly learns how to hide itself from predators, mainly the leopard. An okapi is fully grown by about age 3, and may begin breeding at any time during the preceding year.

Individual okapi have their own territories which they mark by urine and glandular secretions, but the territories do overlap and males generally permit females to pass freely in order to forage.

Okapi are not considered endangered, but they are affected by habitat destruction and by illegal hunting.

And, of course, if you enjoy reading text that is cut and pasted wholesale from reference websites, you can always read either of the two answers directly below mine.

Answer 2

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a mammal of the Ituri Rainforest in central Africa. Although it bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Native just to the Ituri forests situated in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it was known only to the local people until 1901.

Okapis have dark backs, with striking horizontal white stripes on the back legs, making them resemble zebras from a distance. These markings are thought to be "follow me" markings intended to help young follow their mothers through the dense rain forest, and also serve as camouflage. The body shape is similar to that of the giraffe, except that okapis have much shorter necks. Both species have very long (approx. 30 cm or 12 inch), flexible, blue tongues that they use to strip leaves and buds from trees. The tongue of an okapi is long enough for the animal to wash its eyelids and clean its ears: it is one of the few mammals that can lick its own ears. Male okapis have short, skin-covered horns called "ossicones". They have large ears which help them detect their predator, the leopard.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Giraffidae
Subfamily: Okapiinae
Genus: Okapia
Species: O. johnstoni

Answer 3

General Characteristics

Body Length: 200-210 cm / 6.6-7 ft.
Shoulder Height: 150-170 cm / 5-5.6 ft.
Tail Length: 30-42 cm / 12-16.8 in.
Weight: 210-250 kg / 462-550 lb.
The velvet-like coat is generally dark chestnut-brown or purplish red in colour, with distinctive pattern of horizontal stripes, much like those of a zebra, on the upper legs. The lower legs are white, with dark garters at the joints. The vaguely horse-like head is generally lighter, with a black muzzle, and is supported by a thick neck. The ears are large, and the black tongue is long and prehensile. The body is sloped, with the forequarters much higher than the rear. Males have two skin covered 'horns' or knobs on the forehead which develop between one and five years of age.

Ontogeny and Reproduction

Gestation Period: 14-15 months.
Young per Birth: 1
Weaning: After 6 months.
Sexual Maturity: Females at 2 years, males later.
Life span: Over 30 years.
Young are born from August to October. Expectant mothers retreat into dense forest to give birth, after which the newborn lies hidden for several days. The young do not seem to imprint on their mothers, and have been observed nursing from two different females.

Ecology and Behavior

The okapi is active during the day, using fixed, well-trodden paths through the jungle. To locate breeding partners, okapis use their well-developed sense of smell. While usually silent, okapis may make a soft cough during the rut. Young animals, on the other hand, have a wide repertoire of noises, including coughs, bleats, and whistles. The number of these vocalizations increase when the mother and child are separate. Mothers are very protective of their young, defending it vigorously. Before fighting begins, the female sends out a threat by beating on the ground with her forelegs. Estimated population densities range from 0.8-2.3 animals per square kilometer. Okapis have individual home ranges of about 2.5-5 square kilometer, which they move through at the rate of about a kilometer per day as they forage. The okapi finds the minerals its body needs by eating a sulfurous clay found along river banks..
Family group: Solitary, or in temporary small groups.
Diet: Leaves, grasses, fruit.
Main Predators: Leopard.

Distribution

Dense, moist jungle near water throiughout the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Answer 4

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a mammal of the Ituri Rainforest in central Africa. Although it bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Native just to the Ituri forests situated in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it was known only to the local people until 1901.

Okapis have dark backs, with striking horizontal white stripes on the back legs, making them resemble zebras from a distance. These markings are thought to be "follow me" markings intended to help young follow their mothers through the dense rain forest, and also serve as camouflage. The body shape is similar to that of the giraffe, except that okapis have much shorter necks. Both species have very long (approx. 30 cm or 12 inch), flexible, blue tongues that they use to strip leaves and buds from trees. The tongue of an okapi is long enough for the animal to wash its eyelids and clean its ears: it is one of the few mammals that can lick its own ears. Male okapis have short, skin-covered horns called "ossicones". They have large ears which help them detect their predator, the leopard.

Okapis are 1.9 to 2.5 m (8.1 ft) long and stand 1.5 to 2.0 m (6.5 ft) high at the shoulder. They have a 30 to 42 cm (12 to 17 in) long tail. Their weight ranges from 200 to 250 kg (465 to 550 lb).

In addition to tree leaves and buds, okapis eat grass, ferns, fruit, and fungi. Many of the plant species fed upon by the okapi are known to be poisonous to humans. Examination of okapi feces has revealed that the charcoal from trees burnt by lightning is consumed as well. Field observations indicate that the okapi's mineral and salt requirements are filled primarily by a sulfurous, slightly salty, reddish clay found near rivers and streams.

Okapis are largely diurnal and essentially solitary, coming together only to breed. They forage along fixed, well-trodden paths through the forest. Okapis occur alone or in mother-offspring pairs. They have overlapping home ranges of several square kilometers and typically occur at densities of about 0.6 animals per square kilometer. The home ranges of males are generally slightly larger that those of females. They are not social animals and prefer to live in large, secluded areas. This has led to problems with the okapi population due to the shrinking size of the land okapis live on. This lack of territory is caused by development and other social reasons. However, Okapis tolerate each other in the wild and may even feed in small groups for short periods of time.

Only one infant is born at a time, between August and October, weighing between 14 to 30 kg (30 and 65 lb). Their life span in captivity ranges from 15 to over 30 years, but data from wild populations is unavailable. Okapi courtship and mating rituals are known only from observations done in zoos. Partners begin courtship by circling, sniffing, and licking each other. Eventually, the male asserts his dominance by extending his neck, tossing his head, and thrusting one leg forward. This display is followed by mounting and copulation. After mating, the male and female part. The gestation period lasts about 440 days, and females retreat into dense forest vegetation to give birth. They are precocial and may nurse after 21 minutes and attempt to stand after just 16 minutes. Young spend the first day or two of life following the mother around and exploring the environment. After this, they find a suitable hiding spot and make a nest. For the next two months, they spend 80% of their time in this nest. Hiding behavior appears to promote rapid growth and provides protection from predators. A disturbed calf lies motionless in its nest, and a female okapi will rush to aggressively defend her calf from danger. During the hiding stage, young nurse relatively infrequently and do not defecate. These strategies help keep them undetected by predators. Weaning occurs at about 6 months, although young may continue to suckle for more than a year. Young males begin developing horns at one year of age, and both males and females reach adult size at about three years. In captivity, the youngest female to breed was 1 year 7 months old, and the youngest male was 2 years 2 months old.

Okapis have several methods of communicating their territory, including scent glands on each foot that leave behind a tar-like substance which signals their passage, as well as urine marking. Males are protective of their territory, but allow females to pass through their domain to forage.

Okapis prefer altitudes between 500 and 1,000 m, although they may venture above 1,000 m in the eastern montane rainforests. The range of the okapi is limited by high montane forests to the east, swamp forests below 500 m to the west, savannas of the Sahel/Sudan to the north, and open woodlands to the south. Okapis are most common in the Wamba and Epulu areas.

The okapi is the symbol of cryptozoology.