Green Heart At Work: Facts about Giraffes

· The name Giraffe Camelopardalis means ‘one who walks quickly, a camel marked like a leopard’.

· The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world - at an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.).

Source: Travelblog

· It is characterized by its long legs, long neck, and distinctive spotted pattern.

· No two giraffes have the same spot pattern.

· The distinctive spots on their fur is a good camouflage to protect the giraffe from predators. When they stand in front of trees and bushes the light and dark colouring of its fur blends in with the shadows and sunlight.

· When giraffes walk, they move both legs on one side of their body and then both legs on the other side.

· Their height helps it to keep a lookout for predators across the wide expanse of the African savanna.

· A giraffe’s neck is 1.5 – 1.8 metres and contains the same number of vertebrae at a human neck.

· The sex of the giraffe can be identified from the horns on its head. Both males and females have horns but the females are smaller and covered with hair at the top. Male giraffes may have up to 3 additional horns.

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· The hair that makes up a giraffes tail is about 10 times thicker than the average strand of human hair.

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· They are able to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach.

Source: World Atlas

· Giraffes have long, bluish-purple tongues (approximately 45cm long) which are tough and covered in bristly hair to help them with eating the thorny Acacia trees.

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· They spend most of their day eating – a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb.) of leaves and twigs a day.

· Giraffes only need to drink once every several days as they get most of their water from the plants they eat.

· They are ruminants, meaning they have more than one stomach. In fact, they have four stomachs, the extra stomachs assisting with digesting food.

· Even new-born babies being taller than most humans.

Source: Inhabitat

· Female giraffes carry a baby for 15 months and give birth while standing up.

· Newborns are about 2 m (6 ft.) tall and weigh 70 kg (150 lb.).

· Their young endure a rude welcome into the world by falling more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) to the ground at birth.

· Baby Giraffes stand within half an hour and after 10 hours can run beside their family.

· Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up.

· They sleep and give birth standing up.

· They have a very short sleep requirement by spending between 10 minutes and two hours asleep per day.

· Giraffes are sociable, peaceful animals which rarely fight.

· It is extremely dangerous to drink at a water whole as they have to spread their legs and bend down in an awkward position that makes them vulnerable to predators. Thus, the giraffe's stature can be a disadvantage, too.