Editing Okapi (section)

==Ecology and behaviour==
Okapis are primarily [[Diurnal animal|diurnal]], but may be active for a few hours in darkness.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lusenge|first1=T.|last2=Nixon|first2=S.|chapter=Conservation status of okapi in Virunga National Park|title=ZSL Conservation Report |publisher=Zoological Society of London|date=2008}}</ref> They are essentially solitary, coming together only to breed. They have overlapping home ranges and typically occur at densities around 0.6 animals per square kilometre.<ref name=adw>{{cite web|last1=Palkovacs|first1=E.|title=Okapi ''Okapia johnstoni''|url=http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Okapia_johnstoni.html|website=Animal Diversity Web|publisher=University of Michigan Museum of Zoology|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref> Male home ranges average {{convert|13|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, while female home ranges average {{convert|3|-|5|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. Males migrate continuously, while females are sedentary.<ref name=hart/> Males often mark territories and bushes with their urine, while females use common defecation sites. Grooming is a common practice, focused at the earlobes and the neck. Okapis often rub their necks against trees, leaving a brown [[exudate]].<ref name=bodmer/>

The male is protective of his territory, but allows females to pass through the domain to forage. Males visit female home ranges at breeding time.<ref name=kingdon/> Although generally tranquil, the okapi can kick and butt with its head to show aggression. As the [[vocal cord]]s are poorly developed, vocal communication is mainly restricted to three sounds — "chuff" (contact calls used by both sexes), "moan" (by females during courtship) and "bleat" (by infants under stress). Individuals may engage in [[Flehmen response]], a visual expression in which the animal curls back its upper lips, displays the teeth, and inhales through the mouth for a few seconds. The [[leopard]] is the main natural predator of the okapi.<ref name=bodmer/>

===Diet===
[[File:Okapi tongue.jpg|thumbnail|left|The long tongue of the okapi]]
Okapis are [[herbivore]]s, feeding on tree leaves and buds, [[branch]]es, [[Poaceae|grasses]], [[fern]]s, fruits, and [[fungus|fungi]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Okapia_johnstoni/ | title=Okapia johnstoni (Okapi) | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> They are unique in the Ituri Forest as they are the only known mammal that feeds solely on understory vegetation, where they use their {{convert|18|in|cm|adj=mid|-long}} tongues to selectively browse for suitable plants. The tongue is also used to groom their ears and eyes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.giraffidsg.org/files/2016/02/Okapi-conservation-strategy-2015-2025-final-EN1.pdf|title=Okapi Conservation Strategy and Status Review|date=2018-02-21|website=www.giraffidsg.org|access-date=2018-02-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221222436/http://www.giraffidsg.org/files/2016/02/Okapi-conservation-strategy-2015-2025-final-EN1.pdf|archive-date=21 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> They prefer to feed in [[treefall gap]]s. The okapi has been known to feed on over 100 species of plants, some of which are known to be poisonous to humans and other animals. Fecal analysis shows that none of those 100 species dominates the diet of the okapi. Staple foods comprise [[shrub]]s and [[liana]]s. The main constituents of the diet are woody, [[dicot]]yledonous species; [[monocot]]yledonous plants are not eaten regularly. In the Ituri forest, the okapi feeds mainly upon the plant families [[Acanthaceae]], [[Ebenaceae]], [[Euphorbiaceae]], [[Flacourtiaceae]], [[Loganiaceae]], [[Rubiaceae]], and [[Violaceae]].<ref name=bodmer/><ref name=hart/>

===Reproduction===
[[File:Okapi and calf at White Oak.jpg |thumbnail|A female okapi with her calf at White Oak Conservation]]
Female okapis become [[sexual maturity|sexually mature]] at about one-and-a-half years old, while males reach maturity after two years. [[Rut (mammalian reproduction)|Rut]] in males and [[estrus]] in females does not depend on the season. In captivity, estrous cycles recur every 15&nbsp;days.<ref name=kingdon/><ref name=reproduction>{{cite journal |last1=Schwarzenberger |first1=F. |last2=Rietschel |first2=W. |last3=Matern |first3=B. |last4=Schaftenaar |first4=W. |last5=Bircher |first5=P. |last6=van Puijenbroeck |first6=B. |last7=Leus |first7=K. |title=Noninvasive reproductive monitoring in the okapi (''Okapia johnstoni'') |journal=Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine |publisher=The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians |date=December 1999 |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=497–503 |pmid=10749434}}</ref> The male and the female begin [[courtship display|courtship]] by circling, smelling, and licking each other. The male shows his interest by extending his neck, tossing his head, and protruding one leg forward. This is followed by mounting and [[copulation (zoology)|copulation]].<ref name=grzimek/>

The [[gestational period]] is around 440 to 450&nbsp;days long, following which usually a single calf is born, weighing {{convert|14|-|30|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The [[udder]] of the pregnant female starts swelling 2&nbsp;months before [[parturition]], and [[vulva]]l discharges may occur. Parturition takes 3–4&nbsp;hours, and the female stands throughout this period, though she may rest during brief intervals. The mother consumes the afterbirth and extensively grooms the infant. Her milk is very rich in proteins and low in fat.<ref name=kingdon/>

As in other ruminants, the infant can stand within 30&nbsp;minutes of birth. Although generally similar to adults, newborn calves have long hairs around the eye (resembling false eyelashes), a long dorsal [[Mane (horse)|mane]], and long white hairs in the stripes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jirik |first1=Kate |title=Okapia johnstoni Fact Sheet |url=https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/okapi/characteristics |website=ielc.libguides.com |publisher=[[San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance]] |access-date=28 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref> These features gradually disappear and give way to the general appearance within a year. The juveniles are kept in hiding, and nursing takes place infrequently. Calves are known not to defecate for the first month or two of life, which is hypothesized to help avoid predator detection in their most vulnerable phase of life.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/en/2019/09/02/rare-okapi-born/|title=Rare okapi born in Rotterdam Zoo|date=2019-09-02|website=Rotterdam Zoo|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-20|archive-date=20 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220145536/https://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/en/2019/09/02/rare-okapi-born/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The growth rate of calves is appreciably high in the first few months of life, after which it gradually declines. Juveniles start taking solid food from 3&nbsp;months, and weaning takes place at 6&nbsp;months. Ossicone development in males takes 1&nbsp;year after birth. The okapi's typical lifespan is 20–30&nbsp;years.<ref name=bodmer/>