オカピ (Okapia johnstoni) は、コンゴ民主共和国の密林にひっそりと棲む珍しい動物だ。白と黒の顔部、胴体部のダークブラウンの毛皮、脚と尻にある白い鮮やかなラインなど、特徴あふれる姿をしている。オスには小さな角があり、メスには角の代わりに毛の塊があるなど、オスとメスでは外見がわずかに異なる。平均の体高は 1.4～1.6 m、体長は 2.4～2.6 m である。
Latin Name
Okapia johnstoni
Featured
false
Slug
okapi
Site
Thumbnail
Image
Conservation Status
Animal Category
Region
Animal Facts
The okapi and the giraffe are the only members of the giraffe family.
Newborn okapis do not defecate for the first month of their life to prevent predators from locating them.
Okapis have a 30cm long prehensile tongue.
Okapis can retract their eyeballs into their skull to protect their eyes when travelling through thick undergrowth.
The okapi had the nickname 'African unicorn' before it was officially discovered. People would tell stories of seeing a 'donkey-like' creature with small horns in the forest, but its existence wasn't confirmed until 1901.