Giraffes

Giraffes belong to the scientific family Giraffidae and their scientific name is Giraffa camelopardalis, which means “camel-leopard” because early scientists thought they looked like a mix between a camel and a leopard!

A group of giraffes is called a “tower” when they’re standing and a “journey” when they’re traveling together!

Giraffes live in various parts of Africa, from Kenya and Tanzania to Zimbabwe and South Africa, in places called savannas where there are lots of trees and open grasslands!

Wild giraffes typically live 20–25 years, but they can live up to 28 years in zoos where they receive special care and protection!

A full-grown male giraffe can weigh up to 4,250 pounds (1,928 kg) — that’s about the same as a pickup truck!

Adult male giraffes are called bulls, females are called cows, and babies are called calves!

Giraffes are herbivores, which means they only eat plants, especially leaves from acacia trees!

A giraffe’s neck alone can be 8 feet (2.4 meters) long — that’s taller than most basketball hoops!

Giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae (seven) as humans do, but theirs are much longer!

A giraffe’s tongue can be up to 21 inches (53 centimeters) long — that’s as long as, or even longer than, most kids’ arms!

Giraffes have dark blue or purple tongues that help protect them from sunburn while they’re eating leaves!

Each giraffe has a unique pattern of spots, just like human fingerprints — no two giraffes look exactly alike!

A giraffe’s eyes are about the size of golf balls, and they can see in color! — the largest eyeballs among land mammals!

Giraffes have excellent eyesight and can spot predators from over a mile away!

A giraffe’s heart is about 2 feet (60 centimeters) long and weighs about 25 pounds (11 kilograms) — that’s about as heavy as a car tire!

Giraffes have special valves in their necks that control blood flow to their brains when they bend down to drink!

A giraffe’s legs alone are taller than many humans — about 6 feet (1.8 meters) long!

Giraffes only need 5-30 minutes of sleep in a 24-hour period, and they often take quick naps while standing up!

Giraffes communicate using low-frequency sounds that humans can’t hear, called infrasound!

Adult giraffes take turns watching over sleeping calves, much like having a babysitter!

Giraffes can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour) — that’s faster than a bicycle!

Male giraffes fight for dominance by swinging their long necks at each other in a behavior called “necking”!

Giraffes have excellent memories and can remember other giraffes they’ve met, even after several years!

Giraffes are very social animals and often live in groups of 10–20 individuals!

Giraffes use their long necks to keep watch for predators while other members of their group eat or rest!

Giraffes spend most of their day eating, typically between 16–20 hours!

Giraffes have long legs and a strong body that can help them paddle through water if needed, even though they rarely enter deep water!

Giraffes prefer to live in areas with scattered acacia trees and open grasslands called savannas!

A giraffe’s spotted pattern helps them blend in with tree shadows, making it harder for predators to see them!

Giraffes can survive in areas where other herbivores can’t because they can reach leaves that are too high for other animals!

Adult giraffes have very few predators because of their size, but lions sometimes hunt them!

Giraffes often work together with zebras and other animals to watch for predators!

Giraffes can go longer without drinking water than camels because they get most of their water from leaves!

Giraffes use their excellent vision and height advantage to spot predators from far away and warn other animals!

Giraffes can defend themselves with powerful kicks that can seriously injure lions!

Giraffes prefer to stay in open areas where they can see predators approaching!

Giraffes move to different areas depending on the season to find the best leaves to eat!

Baby giraffes are born after a 15-month pregnancy — one of the longest pregnancy periods of any land animal!

A newborn giraffe calf is about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall — taller than most adult humans!

Baby giraffes can stand up and walk within an hour of being born!

Baby giraffes grow about an inch (2.5 centimeters) every day during their first week of life!

Mother giraffes give birth standing up, so babies fall about 6 feet (1.8 meters) to the ground — but they’re not hurt by the fall!

Baby giraffes stay with their mothers for about 12–16 months, learning important survival skills!

Female giraffes often form “nursery groups” where they take turns watching over all the babies!

A baby giraffe doubles its height in the first year of life!

Young male giraffes leave their mother’s group when they’re about 4 years old to join bachelor groups!

Female giraffes can have babies throughout their adult life, usually having one calf every 2–3 years!

Giraffes eat up to 75 pounds (34 kg) of food every day — that’s about as heavy as a third-grade student!

A giraffe’s favorite food is acacia leaves, but they eat more than 100 different types of plants!

Giraffes use their 21-inch tongues to strip leaves from thorny branches without getting hurt!