Being the tallest animal on earth has its ups and downs. Giraffes are not the tallest animal that ever lived, but they are the tallest alive today. There are lots of cool facts about the giraffe in today’s article, and that’s no tall tale. Read more about these fascinating creatures.
First the Stats…
Scientific Name: Giraffa camelopardalis
Weight: Northern giraffe: 1,800 lbs
Height: Male: 16 – 20 ft. (Adult) | Female: 15 ft. (Adult)
Speed: 37 mph (Maximum, Sprint)
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Giraffes only need water every couple of days. The majority of their water comes from the plants they eat. Good thing too as giraffes are a bit awkward looking when they DO need to drink water.
2.) Giraffes sleep standing up. If they do settle in for a nap on the ground, it is only for a short time.
3.) Giraffe tongues are up to 20 inches long!
4.) Giraffe females will visit the location they were born to give birth.
5.) Baby giraffes have a 5 foot fall when they’re born. Way to welcome you to the world!
But wait, there’s more on giraffes!
6.) Both males and females have ossicones (hair covered horns) but the males actually use them for fighting. This fighting is called necking.
7.) A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of food a day! They need to eat this much as their diet of leaves isn’t all that nutritious and they need to eat loads in order to stay healthy.
Did you know…?
Do to the threat of predation, baby giraffes can walk and even run within an hour or more of being born!
8.) A giraffe has the same number of vertebra as we humans. They are just longer (around 10 inches).
9.) In order to pump blood to all the extremes of their body, giraffes have a 25 pound heart that measures approximately 2 feet long!
10.) A male giraffe can tell if a female is ready to mate by tasting her urine. Yummy!
Now a Short giraffe Video!
