FACTS ABOUT GIRAFFES

Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans—about 6 feet . These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances and cruise comfortably at 10 miles an hour over longer distances.The giraffe is an African artiodactyl mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach.

Giraffes are the tallest mammals on Earth. Their legs alone are taller than many humans—about 6 feet . They can run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances, or cruise at 10 mph over longer distances .

Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up; they even sleep and give birth standing up .

The giraffe calf can stand up and walk after about an hour and within a week, it starts to sample vegetation .Giraffes only need 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24-hour period! They often achieve that in quick naps that may last only a minute or two at a time

Despite the females’ attempts to stand over their calves during attacks by lions, spotted hyenas, leopards and African wild dogs (4), many calves are killed in their first few months

A giraffe’s spots are much like human fingerprints. No two individual giraffes have exactly the same pattern

Both male and female giraffes have two distinct, hair-covered horns called ossicones. Male giraffes use their horns to sometimes fight with other males

Giraffes only need to drink once every few days. Most of their water comes from all the plants they eat.

Whilst it was thought that giraffes did not make any sounds, this is now known to be untrue, as giraffes bellow, snort, hiss and make flute-like sounds, as well as low pitch noises beyond the range of human hearing

The giraffe calf can stand up and walk after about an hour and within a week, it starts to sample vegetation

Both male and female giraffes have two distinct, hair-covered horns called ossicones. Male giraffes use their horns to sometimes fight with other males