Giraffe Facts

When it comes to the giraffe, there are so many interesting things to learn that you'll never tire of reading more and more facts about them. Their grand appearance, combined with the poise and dignified grace that they exhibit, makes them one of the gentlest animals in the world. In this article, we'll touch upon some rather interesting facts about giraffes, concerning their physiology, habitat, diet and lifestyle.

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The Basics
The name giraffe is derived from the Arab word 'Xirapha', which means 'the one who walks very fast'. The scientific name of the giraffe is 'Camelopardalis'. The etymology of this name can be traced to a belief that a giraffe was a cross between a camel (height) and a leopard (coat pattern). A male giraffe is called a bull, a female is called a cow, and a baby giraffe is called a calf. The giraffe species has only 9 members. These, including the Camelopardalis or Nubian mentioned above, are: Reticulate or Somali, Abgolan or Smoky, Kordofan, Maasai, Rothschild, South African, Thronicroft or Rhodesian, and West African or Nigerian. The average life span of a giraffe in the wild is between 20 to 25 years.
Giraffe Physiology
The tallest living animal on land, the giraffe stands at about 18 in height while its shoulders stand at a height of 8 feet. The giraffe is a unique creature, because despite the length of its neck (around 6 to 7 feet), it has the same number of cervical vertebrae as that of a human being, i.e. 7. A giraffe is born with a horn. Both, male and female giraffes have horns. These are called ossicones. Females have a small tuft of hair/fur on the ossicones, while males don't. Giraffes are the animals that have the highest recorded blood pressure. It is somewhere around 280/180mm Hg. Giraffes have elastic blood vessels in their necks, which makes it possible for them to bend their neck to the ground and lift it again, without fainting. A giraffe's heart is 24 pounds in weight and 2 feet in length. Sometimes, the extreme height of the giraffe can prove to be a bit cumbersome. Ever seen a giraffe drinking from a waterhole? They have to get into a pretty awkward position by spreading their front legs apart and bending their neck downward, which makes them extremely vulnerable to predators. When they sleep, which is for a measly 5-30 minutes a day, they fold their forelegs beneath them, turn their neck towards their back and rest it on their rump.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
A female giraffe can conceive at the age of 5 years. She gives birth to a calf in the standing position. The calf falls headfirst to the ground from a height of about 5 to 6 feet. The gestation period of a female giraffe is 15 months, after which the calf is born. A calf can begin walking around within 10 hours of being born. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet tall. Females engage in fights only to protect their young. When it comes to taking care of the young, giraffes have a very convenient method. One female looks after the young of the entire herd, while the others go around foraging for food.
Giraffe Eating Habits
Giraffes are herbivorous animals. They enjoy eating different types of leaves and grass, a special favorite being the thorny acacia leaves. The long neck of the giraffe helps it to reach the high branches of the trees to feed on the leaves. In addition to the long neck, the giraffe is further equipped with a really long tongue, that measures around 20 inches and can reach the highest branches of the trees. This tongue is black in color and has antiseptic saliva. Together with the thick lips, the teeth and the tongue do a good job of protecting the giraffe's mouth from the prickly thorns on the trees. The giraffe is a ruminant mammal. This means that it first chews up all the food that it wants (generally more than 30 kg a day), swallows it, and then brings up the cud into the mouth to chew on again. One interesting fact about giraffes is that even though it can consume such large quantities of food, it can survive on a bare minimum of just 6 kg too! A giraffe can go for extensive periods without water, just like a camel. This is due to the high water content in the vegetation that they consume.
Lifestyle of a Giraffe
Neck wrestling matches, called 'necking', are often held to show authority in their herds. Males participate in these 'authority' matches. Giraffes are social animals, and they live in open herds. When there is abundant foliage on the trees in the forests, giraffes scatter around to enjoy it. However, once winter approaches and food begins to become scarce, they congregate and live together to collectively look for food. Giraffes are silent animals, but they are certainly not mute. Sounds similar to those emitted by cows and goats have been recorded from giraffes too. Giraffes are blessed with excellent eyesight. This helps them keep an eye on each other from a distance and also to survey the area for predators. Lions and large packs of hyenas are the giraffe's only predators. The giraffe's long and strong legs are helpful in safeguarding them from these predators. A single, full-forced kick from a giraffe can seriously injure and sometimes even kill a fully grown lion.
Random Facts about Giraffes
If they run at top speed, giraffes can reach a maximum of around 55 to 60 km/h, that too, intermittently. Giraffes sleep for hardly half an hour a day, and even this sleep is divided into 5 or 10 minute naps. Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern and it has been observed that giraffes of a herd seem to have similar coat patterns. Although it is believed that giraffes cannot cough, scientists have discovered that males emit a coughing sound in order to attract females for mating. A giraffe's age can be calculated from its spots. The darker the spots, the older the giraffe. While walking, giraffes use legs on the same side for each step. Meaning, they walk using the front and hind legs of the same side. Every step a giraffe takes is almost 15 feet in length.

These fascinating creatures are probably as peace-loving as they come. They mind their own business when not bothered, but can be formidable when threatened. Hope you enjoyed getting to know these gentle animals better!