03/05/2020
As we continue to stay quarantine, Let's learn about the giraffes – it is the tallest mammal in the world, after all, that isn’t much of a surprise. Its always interesting to watch these animals on your
SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT GIRAFFES
1- Giraffe is not a single species, but a subfamily containing four distinct species – the northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa), reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) and Masai giraffe (Giraffa tippelskirchi)
2- The is the tallest mammal in the world, standing at around 4-5m high, and the tallest giraffes ever recorded have been up to 5.9m. That’s over a meter higher than a double-decker bus. It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that such a large animal weighs quite a lot as well – up to 1900kg, which is more than most cars!
A giraffe’s height is helpful for keeping a look out for predators, such as lions and hyenas. Their excellent eyesight allows them to spot hungry beasts from far away, too.
3- Despite being incredibly tall, giraffes still only have seven vertebrae in their necks – which means a giraffe neck has the exact same number of bones as a human neck!
4- Giraffes drink water With difficulty! A giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. As a result, it has to awkwardly shuffle and spread its front legs to reach the ground for a drink of water. Fortunately giraffes only need to drink once every few days, as they can get most of their water from all the plants they eat.
5- A giraffe giving birth is a bit of a worrying sight if you haven’t seen it before – female giraffes give birth standing up, so the first thing a baby giraffe knows is a 2-metre fall to the ground. Despite the bumpy start, baby giraffes can stand up within an hour of birth.
6- Giraffes usually only have a single baby, born after a 15-month gestation period. But because they’re able to breed all year round, giraffes don’t need to ‘resynchronise’ with the seasons each time they give birth. Sadly, about 50% of giraffe calves do not survive their first year.
7- A giraffe heart can weigh approximately 11kg, making it the biggest of any land mammal.