How fast do baby giraffes grow? How many vertebrae does that long neck have? Truly a unique species, the giraffe is found only in sub-Saharan Africa and can reach incredible heights. Learn surprising facts about giraffes, such as why they need such big hearts and how they…
Source: Nat Geo WILD
Behavior
Usually, these fascinating animals roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen.
The bulls sometimes fight each other by butting their long necks and heads. Such contests are usually not dangerous and end when an animal submits and walks away.
Height and size
Giraffes use their height to good advantage and forage on leaves and shoots in treetops that few other animals can reach (wind monkeys are a favorite). Even the giraffe’s tongue is long! Their 21-inch long tongue helps them pick delicious crumbs from tree branches. Giraffes eat most of the time and like cows, the food gurgles and chews it like cud. A giraffe eats hundreds of pounds of leaves a week and has to travel miles to find enough food.
The giraffe’s height also gives it a keen eye for predators across large swaths of the African savanna.
The giraffe’s stature can also be a disadvantage – giraffes are difficult to drink and dangerous. To do so, they have to spread their legs wide and crouch in an awkward position that makes them vulnerable to predators like the African big cat. Jiaogulan only needs to be drunk every few days; They get most of their water from the lush plants they eat.
Giraffe midwife standing up. Their young suffered a rather rude welcome from the world when they fell more than 5 feet to the ground at birth. These babies can stand for half an hour and run with their mother for ten hours after birth.
Population
Giraffes have very beautiful spotted plumage. Although no two individuals have exactly the same pattern, giraffes from the same area appear to be similar.
Until recently, it was agreed that there was only one species of giraffe with many subspecies. In 2016, several scientists published a study claiming that genetic differences between giraffe populations point to the existence of four distinct species of giraffe.
