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Species -

There is only one species of giraffe, but there are four subspecies: the northern giraffe, southern giraffe, reticulated giraffe, and Masai giraffe. 

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Where did they get their name? -

The word giraffe originated from the Arabic word Zarafah, which translates to “fast walker." But their scientific name is Giraffa camelopardalis, which comes from the Roman name meaning “cameleopard," a combination of camel and leopard.

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Are they pack animals? -

Giraffes live in nonterritorial groups of up to 20. Their homes range from 33 square miles (85 square kilometers) in wetter areas and up to 580 square miles (1,500 square kilometers) in dry regions.

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Where are they found? -

Giraffes are mostly found in East Africa in the grasslands and open woodlands, especially in the reserves such as the Serengeti National Park and the Amboseli National Park. You can also find some in the reserves of Southern Africa.

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What do they eat? -

Giraffes are browsers and their diet mainly consists of leaves and buds on trees and shrubs. They will also eat herbs, climbers, and vines, and prefer flowers and fruit when in season. Their favorite tree to eat from is the Acacia. 

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Standing tall -

Giraffes are the tallest of all land animals. Their legs alone are taller than an average man’s height, standing at six feet (1.8 meters). A male giraffe may reach 18 feet (5.5 meters) in height, and female giraffes may reach around 14 feet (4.5 meters). They grow to their full height by the age of four.

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How much do they weigh? -

Giraffes are known to be heavy animals, weighing about 1.1 tons (1,000 kg). Their weight makes sitting and rising difficult, so they are often seen standing. They even prefer to sleep while standing.

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Life span -

They have an average life span of 25 years in their natural habitat and can live up to 20-27 years in human care.

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Giraffe legs -

The giraffe's long front legs are said to be surprisingly sturdy. They are sometimes used in defence and one kick has been known to kill a lion! A giraffe's feet are the size of a dinner plate with a diameter of 12 inches (30 cm). 

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Giraffe horns -

Giraffe horns are covered with skin and are larger in males than females. They often use them as a defense weapon during a fight. Their horns already exist at birth, but lie flat and are not attached to their skull to avoid injuries during delivery. 

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Giraffe hearts -

Giraffe hearts are large and muscular to pump blood all around their lengthy bodies. The heart alone weighs around 25 pounds (11 kilograms) with an average resting beat of 40-60 beats per minute. 

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Long necks -

The giraffe's long neck enables them to browse leaves from tall trees with ease. Thus, it does not need to compete with other herbivores feeding on lower levels of vegetation. The male stretches high up the tree for food, while the female feeds at shoulder length. Despite the length of their necks, they still have just seven neck bones like other mammals.

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Sharp eyes -

With excellent eyesight, they are very vigilant creatures against predators. For example, if a giraffe spots a lion a kilometer away, the rest of the group will turn their heads too.

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Strong tongues -

Giraffes' tongues are between 18-20 inches (45-50 cm) long. A giraffe's tongue is usually black, purple, or blue. Their tongue is prehensile, which means it is strong, muscular, and can grasp and manipulate objects. This helps the giraffes remove leaves and shoots from even the thorniest of plants.

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Giraffe tails -

Giraffes appear in paintings on early Egyptian tombs. Their tails were said to be valuable for their long wiry hairs, which were used to weave belts and jewelry.

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Unique coats -

Giraffes have beautiful spots all over their coats. You will never find two giraffes with the same pattern. From afar they might look similar but each of them has unique spots just like fingerprints in humans.

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Thick skin -

Due to the high blood pressure maintained in a giraffe's body, the skin developed to be very thick. The skin acts as a compression suit to avoid the pooling of blood.

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Younglings -

A giraffe calf is about six feet (two meters) tall at birth and weighs about  220 pounds (100 kilograms). The mother nuzzles and licks her calf in isolation for a week until they are familiar with each other's scent.

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Younglings -

A young calf can stand up one hour after birth. Many young calves die in the first year of their lives from lion and hyena attacks. Only about 50% make it past their first year.

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How long is pregnancy? -

A female giraffe gives birth to a single calf at a time, but unlike humans, their pregnancy lasts 16 months. A female giraffe gives birth standing up, resulting in the calf falling around seven feet (two meters) to the ground.

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A funny way to drink water -

Despite their long necks, giraffes still need to reach the ground to drink water. They splay their forelegs or bend their knees to lower their necks and reach the surface of the water. Interestingly, giraffes drink water only once every few weeks, not because they can’t find it, but because they choose not to.

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A funny way to drink water -

Giraffes are not regular water drinkers and often drink water in shifts. Since they are vulnerable to predators during this time, one giraffe always stands guard, keeping watch to protect the group.

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How do their long legs benefit them? -

Giraffes are slow walkers by nature, but when they sense danger, they can flee quickly on their long legs. A giraffe can sprint at 31 mph (50 kph) with its neck rocking rhythmically to pull its weight forward.

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Panoramic view -

Giraffes have really good vision and can see in a wide panoramic view, making it easy to spot predators from a distance.

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How do they fight? -

A fight between two giraffes is called “necking" because when two male giraffes fight they whip their necks around, using their heavy skulls like weapons. The longer and thicker the neck the greater the chance the giraffe has of winning.

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Do they ever sleep? -

Yes, they often rest while standing up but also occasionally lie down with their legs folded under their bodies and their necks high. Sleeping puts them in a vulnerable position so they normally sleep for short periods of five minutes or so. 

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In the wild -

Giraffes in the wild have more open spaces and can choose groups to live with. They also tend to be more vigilant in the wild than in captivity.

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In the zoo -

In zoos, giraffes don't get to choose which other giraffes they live with and are confined in smaller spaces their entire lives. This restricts their running skills and means they are slower than wild giraffes. 

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Are giraffes friendly? -

Giraffes are said to be gentle and timid animals and live in loose social groups. Male giraffes often stay alone, joining the females only to mate. Although they are friendly, you should never approach them as they are still wild animals and can lash out when feeling threatened.

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Are giraffes endangered? -

You might not know that there are only around 117,000 West African giraffes left in the wild, making every giraffe important. West African giraffes are rarer than mountain gorillas. Scientists have described them as undergoing a “silent extinction."

Sources : (National Geographic)(Britannica)(National Geographic Kids)(Giraffe Conservation Foundation)(Africa Geographic)(Wikipedia)(Save Giraffes Now)(BBC)(WWF)(International Development Association)

See also: The most endangered animals in Africa

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