Interesting Facts about Giraffes

There are several interesting facts about giraffes as these tall blondes are truly fascinating animals.

You probably already know that giraffes are the tallest animals on earth. But do you know how tall, or heavy or old they can get?

You'll probably be amazed to learn that a male giraffe (called a bull) can attain a height of 18 feet (5.5m) and a weight of 3,800 pounds (1,724kg). A female giraffe (called a cow) grows up to 16 feet (4.9m) tall and can weigh up to 2,500 pounds (1,134kg).

Anatomy

Neck

One of the most notable features of a giraffe is its long neck which is used for browsing and eating from high atop the trees.

Like other mammals though, the giraffe's neck contains only 7 vertebrae which is surprising, given its length. Anchor muscles on the animal's shoulders, however, help keep the neck in an upright position.

Males engage in "necking" contests to establish dominance amongst peers and by extension, access to the females.

Legs and Feet

Interestingly, a giraffe's front legs are about 10 percent longer than the back legs. This gives the giraffe an elegant gait.

Although giraffes normally move at a very leisurely pace, they can run at a speed of 34 miles (55km) per hour. When running fast, the back legs cross the front legs.

However, owing to their high blood pressure (which is necessary to pump blood to the brain via the long neck), giraffes cannot sustain a protracted chase.

Because of their lanky legs, predators sometimes see giraffes as easy prey. Their legs are very powerful, however, and are capable of delivering a kick that can decapitate a lion, the fiercest animal in the jungle.

Of course, an animal as large as a giraffe also has large feet. The hooves of a fully grown giraffe measure about 12 inches wide which is about the size of a dinner plate.

Tail

Another interesting fact about giraffes relates to its tail. At 8 feet (2.4m) in length, a giraffe's tail is one of the longest in the animal world. Plus, at the end of the tail is tuft of stiff, black hair.

Tongue

Like the rest of the giraffe, its purplish-black tongue is exceptionally long. Measuring 18 inches (45cm) in length, the tongue is used for a number of purposes, including grabbing food from trees, cleaning bugs off the animal's face and licking ants out of the nostrils!

The giraffes' favorite food is the acacia which is a thorny tree. Giraffes have antiseptic saliva that helps thorn-inflicted tongue wounds to heal.

Reproduction

A giraffe sexually matures at between 3 and 4 years of age. After a 15 months gestation, it a giraffe delivers a single baby (called a calf) and occasionally, twins.

The cow remains standing during delivery and the calf actually falls out onto the ground. Despite the considerable drop, the calf is not harmed and is usually up and running just a few hours later.

At birth, a calf is already a whopping 6 feet (1.8m) tall.

Giraffe Facts: Life Span

Unfortunately, more than half the giraffe calves never become adults as they fall prey to predators particularly lions and leopards. They are most vulnerable when lying down or bending to drink.

If they do reach adulthood, the average life expectancy of a giraffe is 25 years in the wild and more than 30 in captivity.

Giraffes sleep for between 20 minutes to 2 hours a day. Even when they sleep for the longer period, they do so in 20-minute naps.

Feeding

Another of the interesting giraffe facts is that each animal consumes a remarkable 140 pounds (64kg) of foliage a day. Their favorite trees are acacias. Because they are ruminants like cows, they regurgitate (re-chew) their food.

Giraffe Species in Kenya

There are a total of 9 giraffe species, all of them found in Africa. Kenya has 45,000 giraffes, the highest number of any country and about one-third of all.

There are 3 giraffe species in Kenya...

These are the Masai giraffe, the Reticulated giraffe and the Rothschild giraffe. These are distinguishable by the markings on their skin.

The Reticulated giraffe (first picture)'s coat has large polygon-shaped spots which are liver-colored and are outlined in brilliant white.

This giraffe species, which are also known as the Somali giraffe, is common in Northern Kenya in Samburu National Reserve and Buffalo Springs Reserve.

The chocolate-brown patches of a Masai giraffe (second picture) are more plentiful and their outlines more jagged than those of the Reticulated Giraffe.

It is common in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Nairobi National Park and Lake Nakuru National Park.

The Rothschild giraffe is also referred to as the Baringo or Uganda giraffe. It's patches are orange-brown. These patches are lighter and less jagged than a Masai giraffe's. And, the outline is more cream than white.

Plus, the Rothschild species' legs are "patchless." They are essentially white so from a distance, the Rothschild giraffes appear to be wearing white stockings. Another interesting feature of the Rothschild giraffe is its 5 horns.

Although you can see a few Rothschild giraffes (third picture) in the wild in Lake Nakuru National Park, the species is severely endangered. Your best bet for seeing several Rothschild giraffes is at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi which acts as a sanctuary for the species.

There, you can touch, feed and even peck these graceful creatures. And, if, like me, you are ticklish, you'll giggle yourself silly.

If you'd love to see lots of Kenyan giraffe photos, be sure to check out my collection of favorite giraffe pictures.

Experiencing giraffes in their natural habitat is breathtaking. Seeing these majestic creatures crowded together in a zoo cannot compare to seeing them in their element in the wild. Watching them galloping gracefully across the plains, browsing on treetops, and interacting with other giraffes is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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