Fun Fact 1: The giraffe is a mammal with an extremely long neck and long limbs; it has a spotted coat a short mane, small hairy horns and a surprisingly long tail!
Fun Fact 2: Giraffe are closely related to deer and antelope, they are all ruminant animals, this means that they chew cud, and their stomachs are separated into four (sometimes three) compartments. Ruminants, are even-toed, hoofed and frequently have horns
Fun Fact 3: Giraffe live on the open savannahs, grasslands and woodlands of tropical Africa
Fun Fact 4: The species name for the giraffe is Camelopardalis, which translates to camelopard. The name dates back to early Roman times and was used to describe the animal as a mix between a camel and a leopard
Fun Fact 5: The giraffe is the tallest animal on earth, an adult male can measure up to twenty feet in height and weigh up to 1200 kilograms
Fun Fact 6: The light brown coat of a giraffe is covered with large brown patches, these spots are similar to a fingerprint on a human - each coat is unique, and no two are the same. Generally, the darker the spots, the older the giraffe is!
Fun Fact 7: The fore legs on a giraffe are approximately 10% longer than its hind legs
Fun Fact 8: Giraffes can travel quickly, they are able to runs speed up to 60 km/h (37 mph)
Fun Fact 9: The neck of a giraffe can measure over 2m in length, however this is still not long enough to reach the ground! They awkwardly sprawl on their front legs to reach floor level and drink
Fun Fact 10: Giraffes can drink up to 10 gallons of water a day and spend 16-20 hours a day feeding; their favourite food is Acacia Leaves
Fun Fact 11: On average Giraffes sleep for less than 2 hours a day!
Fun Fact 12: The tongue of an adult giraffe is incredibly long, it can measure up to 27 inches long and is black in color
Fun Fact 13: A Surprisingly fact is that Giraffes have the longest tail of any land mammal! It can measure up to 8 feet in length
Fun Fact 14: The average life span of giraffes is 20 to 25 years
Fun Fact 15: At least two species of giraffe are currently listed as Endangered species these are; the West African also known as the Nigerian Giraffe and the Rothschild's Giraffe. Captive breeding programmes are currently in place in an attempt to increase numbers |
