Name: Girafarig
Classification: Long neck
Type: Normal/psychic
Number: 203
Evolution: none
Height: 1.50 metres
Weight: 50 kilos
Habitat: (sub)tropical forests
Description: Girafarigs are large herbivores that live in tropical and subtropical forests. When their long neck is upright, they are about 1.50 metres tall (shoulder at ca. 1.0 metre). They have a long, bright blue tongue that they not only use for eating, but also for cleaning itself. It mostly eats leafs (preferably ferns), but also fruits and fungi. Females are easily distinguishable from males by their colour pattern: males have a larger area of brown fur. Shown here is a male. Girafarig need very little sleep and they feed both day and night. They live solitary, meeting only to breed or in mother-offspring pairs. Both males and females are very territorial, but males will allow females without offspring to pass through their territory. They do not mark their territories by scent or urine. It is thought Girafarig send out psychic signals to alert others about the boundaries of their domain. Disputes over territories are usually settled with short fights involving kicking and head butting. It comes as a surprise to many people that their fur feels like velvet covered with oil. It is water repellant. For a short time, it was very popular to make boots from Girafarig-fur. The pink ridges on its spine may be to protect the spine, or they may be for attraction of a mate.
The most interesting thing about Girafarig is probably their ‘second head’. At the end of their tail, Girafarig have a spherical skull-like bone. At first glance, this seems to be a head, with gleaming white teeth and eyes. After further study, this turns out to be merely a pattern in the fur, with exception of the blacks of the ‘eyes’, which are in fact photosensitive cells – one could almost say ‘proto-eyes’. This form of camouflage is not usually seen in mammals, though it is common in insect and some birds. Many myths have been told about this second head, most persistent of which is the idea that the head will instinctively fight of predators attacking from behind. What it does do, is confuse predators and it allows Girafarig a certain level of 360 degree vision. With it’s ‘hind eyes’, it can only detect motion and differences in light, not actual details. Girafarig can often be observed suddenly spinning around, reacting to a movement behind them. Visual data from the hind eyes is processed by a nerve cluster inside the tail skull and then relayed to the primary brain. Information may go both ways: research has shown that when Girafarig chew, small muscles on the tail skull move in sync. Scientists are naturally very excited about this discovery and research continues into the details of Girafarigs nervous system.
Girafarig make excellent pets in warmer climates. It is wise not to approach them from behind. Keeping multiple Girafarigs is only advised if the Girafarigs are related females who, even when they are adults, will tolerate each other. Though timid at first, they will become inquisitive when given time to adjust to their owners. Hand-raised Girafarig are usually more sociable and will lick things and people to examine them.

So, this is obviously an okapi. And one of my favorite pokémon!