File:Roosevelt's African trip; the story of his life, the voyage from New York to Mombasa, and the route through the heart of Africa, including the big game and other ferocious animals found in the course (14565401037).jpg

Identifier: rooseveltsafrica01unge (find matches)
Title: Roosevelt's African trip; the story of his life, the voyage from New York to Mombasa, and the route through the heart of Africa, including the big game and other ferocious animals ... found in the course of his travels
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Unger, Frederic William, 1875-
Subjects: Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919 Game and game-birds
Publisher: (Philadelphia? Pa.)
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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h its lips slender thirty-four inch head. This head is peculiar in itself. It isnarrow and sloping, covered with a hairy skin and terminating in atuft of black hair. The upper lip is entire and there is no muzzle.The ears are large and pure white in color. The tongue is very long,pointed and flexible. It may be well to explain here why the giraffepossesses the peculiarities which distinguish him from all otheranimals. His height, he is taller than any other living being that man (189) 190 THE GIRAFFE—CAMEL—BUFFALO has knowledge of, is given to him in order that he may be able to reachup into the trees for the leaves which form his principal food. Hispeculiar tongue is so delicate that the giraffe is able to pluck a singleblade of grass. The tongue can not only be lengthened or shortenedat will, but can also be widened and contracted. In spite of the hugesize of the animal, it can pass its tongue into a tube which wouldscarcely admit of an ordinary lead pencil. When ve consider the
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A HUNTERS PARADISE great height of the giraffes head and that it sometimes feeds on grass,it may easily be imagined that it is difficult and awkward for it toreach the ground. It accomplishes the feat, however, by spreadingits front legs to their utmost extent and making full use of its longneck and flexible tongue above referred to. The giraffe being naturallydefenseless, is compelled to depend on speed to enable him to escape THE GIRAFFE—CAMEL—BUFFALO 191 an enemy. The long legs provide him with this, and one of the biganimals at full speed is too fast for any beast in the forest or on theplains of Africa. The sportsmans only hope is to kill or injure badlywith the first shot, for once frightened they are away like an expresstrain. It takes only a few steps for them to acquire tremendous speed,and the little African ponies used as saddle horses are soon left farin the rear. It must not be imagined that man is the sole enemy of thegiraffe. Lions and leopards kill great numbers of

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