okapi
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okapi
Okapi
(Okapia johnstoni), an artiodactyl mammal of the family Giraffidae; the sole species of the genus Okapia. The okapi is smaller than the giraffe. The body length is about 2 m, the shoulder height is up to 1.5 m, and the weight is approximately 250 kg. The neck and legs are not as long as those of the giraffe, and the shoulders are higher than the sacrum. The animal has an elongated snout and large ears. There are two small horns on the forehead, which annually have new tips. The tongue is very long and mobile. The short, slender tail is tufted terminally. The coloration varies: the head is light with dark markings, the body is grayish brown, and the rump and limbs are transversely barred with white and dark stripes. The okapi is rare, inhabiting the tropical rain forests of the Congo Basin in Africa. It lives singly or in pairs and feeds primarily on leaves. The gestation period is about 440 days.