With super long necks, strange tongues, and horns that aren’t officially horns, giraffes are one of the most extraordinary members of the animal kingdom! In this post, we’ll reveal 15 weird and wonderful facts about this most remarkable mammal — including how they’ve inspired space travel, why male giraffes might get headaches, and why a giraffe baby lands with a bump!
1. There are different giraffe species
Did you know that wild giraffes can only be found on the African continent? Scientists have long argued over how many types there are. They decided on four main species:
a) The Masai
b) Southern
c) Northern
d) Reticulated giraffes
Northern giraffes call north Africa home, Southern giraffes stroll around the south of the continent, while the other two species are happiest in the east. However, to make matters more complicated, there are now known to be as many as nine subspecies! Can you discover them all?
2. Their patches tell them apart
No two giraffes have the same pattern. Their patchwork coats vary depending on their species. The Masai giraffe is darker with brown lines between its patches. The Reticulated giraffe has brown-orange patches separated by thick white lines. Meanwhile, the patches of the Northern and Southern giraffes are more like splodges of paint!
Watch giraffes stroll around on this live cam. Can you tell which species they are? Sometimes they’re hiding — check back later if they are!
3. They’re officially the tallest land animal
Giraffes are the tallest land animals on planet Earth (if you want to learn more about our planet and others in the solar system, check out our superb planets activities page). Fully grown giraffes stand at 4.3 – 5.7 metres tall. That’s taller than three men standing on each other’s shoulders! Baby giraffes might look tiny compared to their mums, but they’re as tall as the average man when they’re born.
4. Long giraffe necks are excellent lookouts
What does the habitat of the giraffe have to do with its neck? Well, its long neck means its head and eyes are higher up, meaning it can spot any approaching dangers on the wide, open grasslands. Prowling predators can easily disguise themselves in thick forests, so flat land is better for giraffes.
5. Giraffes are greedy guzzlers!
Giraffes spend most of their time eating and can guzzle up to 45 kg of leaves and twigs a day! They also snack on fruit and grass. Thanks to their long necks and legs, giraffes can reach tasty treats like fresh green leaves in tall trees.
6. They don't drink much
Giraffe necks are too short to reach the ground, so they awkwardly spread their legs or kneel to reach water. They’re an easy target for predators when they’re drinking so it’s a relief for a giraffe that it doesn’t need to drink very much! Giraffes get most of their water from their leafy meals so they only need to drink once every few days.
7. A giraffe uses its head for fighting
Male giraffes (called bulls) swing their long necks and butt heads to see who is stronger. This is known as “necking“ and most giraffes don’t get hurt doing it. Eventually one male will give up and walk away, probably to eat.
8. They’re fast and dangerous
Giraffes prove that you can be super tall and super fast! They can reach speeds of up to 37 mph in short distances (faster than any human being!). Predators beware! Giraffe kicks are powerful and their hooves are the size of dinner plates.
9. Giraffe horns aren’t real horns
Giraffe faces look friendly enough — with their large eyes, long eyelashes, and cute, tufty horns! But did you know that those are not actually horns? They are actually ossicones. These look like giraffe horns but are actually made from a material cartilage, covered with skin. Female ossicones are thinner with cute, fluffy tufts. Male giraffes have thicker ossicones that go bald on top, due to wear and tear from giraffe fights!
10. Giraffe tongues aren’t pink
Can you guess the colour of a giraffe’s tongue? It’s dark blue! Giraffes stick their tongues out so much when they’re grazing that a pink tongue would get sunburnt.
11. Giraffe tongues are like fingers
A giraffe’s tongue is 45-50 cm long and “prehensile”, which means it can twist and grip things. This is very useful if you’re trying to pick delicious leaves out from thorns. Giraffes also have mouth armour! Their mouths are covered in hard, finger-like papillae to protect them from sharp thorns.
12. They have huge hearts
A giraffe heart weighs around 11 kg and is the biggest heart of any land animal! It needs to be extra powerful to pump 60 litres of blood around the giraffe’s body and all the way up that long neck.
13. A giraffe baby is tough!
Giraffes give birth standing up and the giraffe baby falls nearly 2 metres to the ground. Its ossicones lie flat against its head at birth to avoid hurting the mother. The calf stays with its mother for 1½ years. If you fancy making your own giraffe baby, try out our salt dough activity.
14. Baby giraffes have helped space travel
Astronauts have a problem in space. Due to weightlessness, their leg veins get weaker because their heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood. When it’s born, a baby giraffe’s legs rapidly inflate with blood. So it goes from floating in mum’s tum to walking on strong “land” legs in under one hour. NASA used the design of blood vessels in giraffe legs for its space suits.
15. They may become extinct
Giraffes need our help! Their numbers have dropped by 30% over the last 30 years. The remaining herds face terrible threats from hunting and habitat loss. Their homes are turned into farms and the trees they eat are chopped down. Look here to find out what we need to do to save these magnificent giants.
Giraffe-inspired craft: the Giraffe Periscope!
Before we conclude our exciting journey into the world of giraffes, here's a crafty twist for all our young readers. If you've ever wondered how it feels to see the world from a giraffe's perspective, we've got just the thing for you!
The Giraffe Periscope from toucanBox lets kids explore the world from a higher viewpoint. This fun and educational craft not only teaches kids about optics and reflection, but also allows them to get creative by personalising their very own periscope with giraffe-inspired designs. Check it out! Each Giraffe Periscope kit comes complete with all the necessary materials and instructions.
Looking for more craft projects with all materials included, delivered straight to your doorstep? Why not visit our shop, or sign up to our subscription craft club today!
Edited by
The toucanBox team
