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30 Interesting Facts About Giraffes
30 Interesting Facts About Giraffes: Hello friends, we are back with 30 mind-blowing facts about Giraffes. They are the tallest mammal living on earth with an average height of 4 meters to 6 meters. Let’s learn some new things about Giraffes.
1. Giraffes learn to stand within half an hour of being born: Yes, it is true. We humans generally take 1 to 2 years to learn walking while Giraffes learn it only in 30 minutes. Not only this, but they also start running after 10 hours.
2. Giraffes stand up most of the time: Giraffes can sit down but they stand up pretty much all the time because it’s easy for them to escape from predators. This is interesting. Isn’t it? They even sleep and give birth while standing.
3. Giraffe A mammal who needs the shortest sleep: The giraffe is an animal that needs the shortest sleep among all the mammals. They sleep between 10 minutes to 2 hours over a period of 24 hours.
4. Giraffes also have their unique identity: Yep! Just as no two humans can have the same fingerprints, no two giraffes can have the same spots.
5 Giraffes’ tongues are huge in size: Giraffes have massive tongues of size up to 45cm in length so that they can reach the highest trees and can enjoy the tastiest leaves. Giraffes can also clean their ear with the help of their tongues.
6. Dark Blueish tongue of Giraffe: Giraffe has a dark blueish tongue but why do they have a dark Tongue? According to researchers, the Dark tongue is a form of sun protection for the Giraffe.
7. Giraffes are guzzlers: Giraffes are greedy guzzlers. For those who don’t know the meaning of guzzlers, it means greedy eating or drinking. They eat around 45KG of leaves, grass and fruits. Therefore, they are guzzlers.
8. Giraffes have big hearts: Giraffes’ hearts weigh around 11 KG and it is the biggest heart of any animal on land. Its hearts are so powerful that they can pump around 60 litres of blood into the body.
9. Giraffes need help: Yes, what you have read is true. They need help, either from us or from nature. The population of Giraffes is decreased by 30% in the last 30 years. There are many reasons why they may become endangered in some years. The main reasons are habitat loss and human-wildlife conflicts. The homes they were living in are turned into farms. The trees are being cut through which they were eating leaves.
10. Giraffes run fast: Giraffes can reach the peak speed of up to 60 Km per hour over short distances. In Latin, they are also called ‘ Giraffe Camelopardalis ‘ which means ‘ one who walks quickly, a camel marked like a leopard.’
11. Giraffe’s neck is too short: We all may have heard that Giraffe’s neck is almost half the size of its overall height. The thing is that its neck is too short to reach the ground. So, whenever they have to drink water from the ground, they have to spread their legs.
12. Giraffes don’t drink much: According to some studies, Giraffes don’t drink much water. Their major water intake comes from plants they eat, so they have to drink water from the ground once in a couple of days.
13. White giraffe It is the rarest species of Giraffe. In 2020, 2 white giraffes were killed by poachers ( A person who trespasses or steals). According to some reports, only one White Giraffe is alive on earth. The white appearance of the Giraffe is due to leucism. It is a genetic condition when the skin cells do not have pigmentation.
14. World Giraffe day: I bet you haven’t heard about this fact. World Giraffe day was established in the year 2014. This is an event that was started to celebrate the tallest animal on the longest day or night. Basically logic behind this is the length or height of the giraffe and the length of the day or night.
15. Giraffes live in groups of 10 to 15. They do so because this helps them to survive or fight against predators.
16. Giraffe’s horns are not real The two solid horns of Giraffes are not real. They are actually Ossicones. Ossicone is a form of thick cartilage which is covered with skins. Baby Giraffes are born with flat Ossicones to avoid injury during their birth. Males have thicker Ossicones than females.
17. Gestational Period in Giraffe: Once a male Giraffe mates with a female, the gestations period is around 15 months. When a baby is born, the rough landing breaks the amniotic sac and umbilical cord of the baby Giraffe. It helps and encourages them to start breathing.
18. Baby Giraffes rely on their mothers Like humans, baby Giraffes also depend on their mothers for the first 4 to 6 months for milk and nutrients. Mothers pull off some leaves to feed the babies until they become tall enough to reach and eat the leaves and fruits on their own.
19. Tallest species of Giraffe: Giraffes have 4 distinct species in total Masai Giraffe, Northern Giraffe, Reticulated Giraffe and Southern Giraffe. Among all Masai Giraffe is the tallest species with the highest height up to 19 feet. Masai Giraffe can be found in East Africa. They are also the national animal of Tanzania.
20. GCF: Giraffe Conservation Foundation. It is an NGO that aims at the conservation and management of Giraffe. GCF is currently available in 15 countries across the globe.
21. Oxpecker a friend of the Giraffe: Oxpecker is an orange bird who is a friend of the Giraffe. Oxpecker eats the harmful insects and ticks from the Giraffe’s fur. On the other side, Giraffe helps it by giving some space on its neck to rest.
22. Giraffes helped NASA: In the year 1997, NASA examined the gravity adaptations of Giraffes, especially when they bend down to build more advanced spacesuits for astronauts.
23. Giraffe’s lifespan: Giraffes generally live for 25 years but, they can live up to 40 years in zoos or captivity where they get food and shelter. Also, they don’t have predators in zoos. It’s still better for Giraffes to live outside where they are free.
24. Predators of Giraffe: Giraffes are very powerful and also aware of their predators. The predators of Giraffes are Lions and crocodiles. Lions generally attack young giraffes or injured ones.
25. Fight between Giraffes: Two Giraffes fight to show their dominance. This fight occurs between two males. These fights aren’t dangerous and it ends when one Giraffe walks away. This fight between two male Giraffes is known as ‘necking.’
26. Walking pattern of Giraffe: Unlike horses, Giraffes walk by moving both legs of the same side together. First, they will take the left front and left hind legs step and then the right front and right hind legs step.
27. Powerful Kick: Giraffes have very powerful kicks. A kick can give serious damage to its predator and even kill them. This thing is beneficial for them as it helps Giraffe to attack their predators.
28. Male checks Female’s fertility: Yes! This thing is true. Male Giraffes check the fertility of females by tasting their urine.
29. Giraffes are pollinators Like bees: Giraffes are natural pollinators. Their fur and long tongue allow them to transfer the flower of a tree to another. According to some reports, Giraffes are essential pollinators and without them, some tree species might struggle to live.
30. Giraffes suck bones: We all know that Giraffes are herbivores so how this thing can be possible? Well, this is true. They suck animal bones when they are running out of nutrition and want some extra calcium.
FAQ on Interesting Facts About Giraffes
What are unusual facts about giraffes?
Giraffes have several unusual facts that make them fascinating creatures. Their tongues can be up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) long, allowing them to reach leaves and even clean their own ears. Additionally, giraffes have a unique way of walking known as “pacing,” where both legs on one side move at the same time, creating a distinctive rocking motion.
What are some fun facts about giraffes height?
Giraffes have an impressive height, with adult males reaching an average height of 16 to 18 feet (4.8 to 5.5 meters) and adult females measuring around 14 feet (4.3 meters) tall. Their long necks alone can measure up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length, allowing them to reach foliage that is out of reach for other animals.
What are giraffes famous for?
Giraffes are famous for their long necks, which make them the tallest land animals on Earth. They are also known for their distinctive coat patterns and graceful movements.
What do giraffes love?
Giraffes love to graze on leaves and vegetation high up in the trees, and they also enjoy socializing and interacting with other giraffes in their herd.
How long do giraffes sleep?
Giraffes have relatively short sleep cycles and do not sleep for long durations at once. On average, they sleep for about 4.6 hours per day, but this sleep is usually fragmented into multiple short periods.
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