There are a lot of really fun facts about giraffes. Some are more apparent than others, like the fact that they are the tallest animals in the world. But you already knew that, right?
The giraffe is an intriguing megafauna which holds an animal encyclopaedia full of intriguing facts, some of which are quite unbelievable. These mesmerising animals have a number of quirky traits that may surprise you.
Imagine an African safari without catching a glimpse of a giraffe above the treetops? It just wouldn’t be will Africa without these gentle giants strolling around the savannah.
So, let’s have a look at a number of fun giraffe facts.
Giraffes Only Need To Drink Water Once Every Couple Of Days
Giraffes derive most of their water from their plant-based diet. This is good considering that their height makes the process of drinking quite challenging (and, if a lion comes across a drinking giraffe, even dangerous).
Where Are Giraffes Found?
Giraffes are to be found in the dry savannahs of Africa. Here they roam among the open plains and woodlands.
Giraffes Are Able to Stand Half An Hour After Being Born
Yes, you heard right! Once it’s been born, it only takes a giraffe around half an hour until it can stand up. Also, it can run after just 10 hours!
Despite the females’ attempts to stand over their calves during attacks by lions, spotted hyenas, leopards and African wild dogs, many young giraffes are killed in their first few months of life
You Will Be Able To Tell If A Giraffe Is Male Or Female Just By Looking At The Horns.
Both male and female giraffes have horns however the tops of the horns of a male are almost always bald. A female giraffe’s horns will be covered completely with hair. This is because males establish their dominance by fighting with other male giraffes, which is called necking, so the hair on top of the horns often is torn off. Females don’t fight, which means that they never lose the hair on their horns.
A list of interesting facts about giraffes wouldn’t be comprehensive without mentioning that a giraffe’s horns are not really horns at all! They are ossicones, which are horn-like protrusions. They’re formed from ossified cartilage which is covered with skin.
The Giraffe’s Long Neck Has Just Seven Vertebrae
The giraffe is the last-standing land mammal to develop a super-long neck since its ancestors in the Jurassic period.
A male giraffe’s neck can reach nearly three metres in length. Coming in at number 2 is the ostrich at still-impressive one metre. Unlike in bingo online in Australia, there is no competition there!
What’s even more mesmerising about their elongated necks is that giraffes still just have seven neck vertebrae. That’s the same number of bones as are in a human neck, except their bones are much, much longer than ours are.
Giraffes Have A Highly Specialised Cardiovascular System
Owing to their unusual shape, giraffes have a highly specialised cardiovascular system which begins with an enormous heart. It’s two feet long and weighs in at up to 25 pounds.
