We all know them as the tallest living land animals in the world, but there are more interesting facts about giraffes that you don’t know. So check out more about these gentle giants of the African savannah.
1. The name "giraffe" comes from the Arabic word "zarāfa," which means "fast walker." This name likely refers to the giraffe's long legs and swift movements. The word "zarāfa" was adopted into Italian as "giraffa," which later evolved into the English word "giraffe."
2. One of the most distinctive features of the giraffe is its height. Newborn babies are usually about six feet (1.8 meters) tall, which makes them taller than most adults.
3. Adult male giraffes can weigh up to 3,000 lbs (1360 kilograms) and grow up to 18 feet (5, 5 meters) tall.
4. The pattern on the skin of each giraffe is as unique as human fingerprints.
5. Even though giraffes have extremely long necks, they have the same number of neck bones as humans — just seven vertebrae. The difference is that each of their vertebrae can be over 10 inches long, giving them that iconic stretched look.
6. Male giraffes use their long necks for more than just eating — they fight with them! This behavior is called "necking," where two males swing their necks like hammers to show strength and win dominance in the herd.
Giraffes use their necks in dominance fights.
8. Due to the specific structure of the neck, a giraffe’s heart is very large and strong and weighs about 25 pounds, it has to be that big to pump blood all the way to its brain.
9. Giraffes are usually quiet, but they can talk to each other using very low sounds called infrasound. People can't hear these sounds, but giraffes use them to stay in touch, especially at night when they can't see each other well.
10. Giraffes are herbivores (vegetarians) and feed mainly on leaves, fruit, and twigs of trees. Because this diet is very poor in nutrients, giraffes need to eat almost thirty kilograms of leaves, so they spend about twenty hours of their day eating.
11. Giraffes don’t need to drink water every day. They get most of the water they need from the leaves they eat. This is helpful because bending down to drink makes them easy targets for predators, so they do it only when really needed.
12. Throughout the day, giraffes sleep for 4 to 5 hours, but their rest is divided into short intervals of 5 to 30 minutes. This way, they can stay alert and react quickly if a predator approaches.
Giraffes have long blue-purple tongues.
14. In order to avoid sunburn from the bright African sun, the giraffe’s tongue has a dark black, blue, or purple color.
15. Giraffes walk in a unique way, moving both legs on one side of their body at the same time, just like camels do. This unusual walk helps them stay balanced despite their height.
16. It takes a giraffe baby a few minutes to get his bearings, during which time his mom licks him clean. Within an hour, most calves are standing and taking their first steps.
