Okapi Flashcards
What are some other names for the okapi?
Forest giraffe, zebra giraffe
What is the closest relative of the okapi?
The giraffe
What year was the okapi brought to the attention of western scientists?
1901.
How many okapis remain in the wild?
10,000
What are some explanations for the leg markings of the okapi?
To allow them to camouflage, to allow young okapis to follow their mothers.
How long is the okapi’s tongue?
14 inches long.
How long and tall are okapis?
Up to 8 feet long and six feet high.
When are okapis active?
Primarily diurnal, but sometimes active at night,
What is the conservation status of the okapi?
Endangered.
Are okapis social?
No. They only come together to breed.
Why do okapis have such large ears?
They allow them to hear predators coming.
How do okapis court each other?
They circle, sniff, or lick each other.
What are the main threats to the okapi?
Habitat loss and poaching
Where are the scent glands of the okapi?
On the hooves.
True or false, a male okapi will protect his territory from all other okapis, including females.
False. He will allow females to pass through.
What is monosomy?
A condition in which one copy of a chromosome is missing.
What famous human condition is a result of a Robertsonian translocation?
Down syndrome.
True or false, okapis with monosomy produce healthy offspring.
True.
What is the specific condition of monosomy that afflicts some okapis in zoos?
Robertsonian translocation.
How do okapis repel water from their fur?
Their fur very velvety and covered in an oil.
What is the range and habitat of the okapi?
Montane rainforests in central Africa.
What do okapis eat?
Leaves, grasses, fruits, berries, fungi.
Why could a human not eat a similar diet to the okapi?
Many of the things okapis eat are poisonous to humans.
How do okapis fulfill their need for salts?
They eat clay from rivers.
How many years ago was the oldest tribal depiction of the okapi drawn?
500 BC.
What is the main predator of the okapi?
The leopard.
Who discovered the okapi for the western world?
Harry Johnston.
How did Harry Johnston obtain the knowledge to find the okapi?
He rescued a tribe of pygmies from a circus. They gave him information that led to the okapi.
True or false, Harry Johnston saw a live okapi.
False. He found only traces of the hide and the skull.
Before it was officially discovered, what did Europeans call the okapi?
The African unicorn.
True or false, some biologists consider the okapi a living fossil.
True.
What is a living fossil?
A living species of organism that appears to be similar to a species otherwise known only from fossils, typically with no close living relatives.
What is a clade?
A group consisting of an ancestor and all its descendants.
How many okapis are in zoos today?
176
What zoo was the first to exhibit okapis in North America?
The Bronx zoo.
What major historical event caused widespread destruction to the okapi populations?
The Congo civil war.
When was the first wild picture of an okapi taken?
2008
What is the lifespan of an okapi?
20 - 30 years.
How much do okapis weigh?
Between 440 and 770 pounds.
Why are okapis short and have such short horns?
So they do not get tangled up in the branches of their forest habitat.
How do okapis communicate vocally?
They cough, bleat, whistle, and produce vocalizations too low for humans to hear.
Why are okapi vocalizations so low?
They allow okapis to communicate without alerting predators.
When are okapis mature?
3 years old.
What is the gestation period of the okapi?
14 months.
How many young does the okapi have?
1
How tall are okapis at birth?
2 feet
How long does it take before newborn okapis can stand?
30 minutes.
