An old giraffe will have darker spots than the younger one. Giraffes consume over 35 kilos of food per day. The Giraffe’s heart can weigh as much as 24 pounds or 11 kg. Bob Strauss is a science writer and the author of several books, including "The Big Book of What, How and Why" and "A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs of North America. During copulation, male giraffes stand almost straight up on their hind legs, resting their front legs along the female's flanks, an awkward posture that would be unsustainable for more than a few minutes. This is – astonishingly the same number of vertebrae in a human neck! Male giraffes do a lot of weird stuff you know, well, to test if a female is fertile, they test her urine. Wild giraffe are sadly declining, mainly due to habitat loss caused by increasing agriculture.People still poach them for their tail hair, pelts and meat. Anton Petrus / Getty Images Species and Subspecies . Use our interactive map to navigate our fascinating planet and discover many interesting and fun facts for every country…, © 2020 Planet Numbers Ltd. Site Map. Giraffe guide: species facts, lifespan and habitat. Nile crocodiles have been known to chomp on the necks of full-grown giraffes, drag them into the water, and feast at leisure on their copious carcasses. Multi-Locus Analyses Reveal Four Giraffe Species Instead of One, Giraffe Demography and Population Ecology, Giraffa camelopardalis (amended version of 2016 assessment). You know they're tall—the tallest mammals in the world, in fact—but here are 20 other fun facts about these leggy herbivores. The Giraffe’s heart can weigh as much as 24 pounds or 11 kg. Giraffe tongues are huge … The Giraffes weighs over 4,000 pounds, which is about 1,900 kg. A giraffe is prone to attack by predators, such as lions and hyenas. Scientists believe the age of a giraffe can be estimated from the spots. Here’s 17 interesting facts about Giraffes to help clue you in on some of the more fascinating bits and pieces about them. 1. Behind their beautiful appearance with a unique fur, long neck, and unparallel tallness, some peculiarities define them as unique animals in the world. Giraffe are currently the tallest terrestrial mammal and largest ruminant alive, well known for their long necks giraffe can grow to 5.5 m tall. The West African giraffe is a subspecies of giraffe, distinguished from other types by its light, tan-colored spots. 10 Fun Facts About Giraffe . They might only need to take on. 1. It's unclear what the purpose of ossicones are; they may help males to intimidate one another during mating season, they may be a sexually selected characteristic (that is, males with more impressive ossicones may be more attractive to females), or they may even help to dissipate heat in the blazing African sun. Giraffes live in Africa, mainly in open forests, savannas, and grasslands. Sexual maturation occurs about 5 years of age, and females generally have their first calves at 5–6 years. The male giraffe is generally heavier and taller than the female giraffe. Giraffes are the tallest mammal in the world. The animal's legs are also 6 feet long.Females grow up to 14 feet (4.3 m) tall and weigh up to 1,500 lbs. Like camels, they don't need to drink on a daily basis. They will normally know how to move around on their feet within an hour! At birth, calves are about five and a half feet tall, and at about one-year-old, they are 10.5 feet tall. Giraffes are the tallest of all land animals; males (bulls) may exceed 5.5 metres (18 feet) in height, and the tallest females (cows) are about 4.5 metres. READ MORE: Animals in Kenya (A Guide to 40 Species) Why don’t we find out together. Facts about Giraffes. One of the surprising giraffe facts is that giraffes can run over 30 miles (or 50 kilometers) per hour! Giraffes are amazingly speedy on the ground. New-born giraffes stand at around 6 feet tall, making them taller than most adult humans. Giraffes consume over 35 kilos of food per day. The tall height is helpful for keeping a lookout for its enemies. Previously, scientists thought that giraffes all belonged to one species, with many subspecies, but this assumption has been overturned. Giraffe Facts for Kids. Therefore – just because their necks are longer – doesn’t mean they are more complex. Looking at a giraffe, it doesn’t exactly look like a racehorse. This means that giraffes are technically listed as vulnerable, on the whole – it’s thought that we have lost around 40% of the world’s giraffe population in the past 35 years. However, their, While you may find giraffes common across zoos and safari parks in Europe, North America and beyond, you will only find them in the wilds of. It’s thought that giraffes are not unique but are one of four different species. Giraffe Facts: 10 Fun Facts about Giraffes. Long-Necked – Much of these creatures’ height comes from their lengthy necks, which can measure well over 6 feet long alone! Facts about Giraffe: 16-20. Their bobbing walk, where both legs on one side are lifted in unison, looks positively relaxed. Learn surprising giraffe facts, such as why they need such enormous hearts and how they get by on less than thirty minutes of sleep each day. The Giraffes weighs over 4,000 pounds, which is about 1,900 kg. READ MORE: Animals in Kenya (A Guide to 40 Species) The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. Also Read: Top 10 Facts about Snakes. Since adult giraffes can only get a few servings with each bite, they spend most of their time eating to meet their caloric need of around 35 kilos. Giraffe Facts Some of your most frequently asked questions answered. Giraffe are endangered It’s not a fun fact about giraffes, but this is the most important giraffe fact you need to be aware of. Female giraffes give birth when standing up. On the top of a giraffe's head are ossicones, unique structures that are neither horns nor ornamental bumps; rather, they're hardened bits of cartilage covered by skin and anchored firmly to the animal's skull. 11 Facts About Giraffes Welcome to DoSomething.org , a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! Why that long? In fact, a baby giraffe learns to walk extremely quickly. 2. Learn all about these impressively tall mammals, including key species facts, their diet and best places to see them in their natural habitat in our expert giraffe guide. 18. Giraffes are herbivores (plant-eaters) and typically eat up to 75 pounds of food in a day. They’re too short to bend back down! Giraffes subsist on a variable vegetarian diet that includes leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits. They are social creatures who mostly live in one of two types of herds: adult females and their offspring, and bachelor herds. 17. Male giraffes are known to engage in a ritualized display of dominance called “necking” and this involves head-butting each other’s bodies. We know from our giraffe facts that giraffes have extremely long legs. Giraffes aren’t silent, despite common belief. You know they're tall—the tallest mammals in the world, in fact—but here are 20 other fun facts about these leggy herbivores. ", ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Technically, giraffes are classified as artiodactyls, or even-toed ungulates—which puts them in the same mammalian family as whales, pigs, deer, and cows, all of which evolved from a "last common ancestor" that probably lived sometime during the Eocene epoch, about 50 million years ago. Facts About Giraffes Heart. Many young giraffes, called calves, die from lion attacks during their first year of life. Wild giraffe are sadly declining, mainly due to habitat loss caused by increasing agriculture.People still poach them for their tail hair, pelts and meat. Interestingly male giraffes often have thicker ossicones than females, which become bald on top due to frequent necking. Spatial Ecology and Habitat Use of Giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis) in South Africa. 13.) 16. Over short distances, giraffes can run at speeds up to 35 mph. Scientists believe the age of a giraffe can be estimated from the spots. They are thought to make low pitched noises which we are simply unable to physically hear. Giraffes are incredibly unique in a number of different characteristics as well as their record-breaking stature. Most zoo giraffes are either the reticulated or Rothschild variety, which are roughly comparable in size but can be distinguished by the patterns of their coats. One of the giraffe facts you can’t miss: A group of giraffes is called a “tower,” which is only fitting as it is the tallest animal on Earth. Giraffe Facts Some of your most frequently asked questions answered. Giraffes are the tallest living animals in the world, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Giraffe tongues are dark blueish in colour, which is thought to be a form … However, an insufficiently wary giraffe can easily be ambushed at a water hole, since it has to adopt an ungainly posture when taking a drink. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.9 meters) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). 13 fascinating facts about giraffe: There are four distinct species of giraffe: Northern giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, Southern giraffe giraffa, Reticulated giraffe G. reticulata and Masai giraffe G. tippelskirchi. The special adaptations of giraffes help us learn about evolutionary theory and the nature of life on Earth. Giraffe tongues are huge … Giraffes were recently added to the IUCN’s Endangered Species List, with several subspecies currently listed as critically endangered. In other countries, such as Tanzania, poaching is associated with declines. Giraffes Are as Tall as a 2-Story House; Giraffes Necks Grew Over Time … Over Millions Of Years It’s therefore completely possible to tell two giraffes apart. (680 kg), while males grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m) tall and weigh up to 3,000 lbs. Any ideas for other interesting facts about the giraffe? Here we listed most interesting giraffe facts, that most peoples don't know. A Giraffe’s tongue is a bluish-purple color and can be as long as 17 to 20 feet or 45 to 50 cm. Most of them get around 10 minutes to two hours of sleep per day. Studies show that giraffe cows stay with the same group at least as long as six years. 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