Giraffes are more than just tall creatures—they are uniquely adapted to their environment and have several fascinating characteristics.
Here are some fun and exciting facts about Giraffes you probably didn´t know.
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Longest Neck in the Animal Kingdom: Giraffes are best known for their long necks, which can measure up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Despite this length, they have the same number of neck vertebrae as humans—just seven!
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High-Speed Runners: Even though they look somewhat awkward, giraffes can run as fast as 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour over short distances.
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Biggest Hearts: A giraffe's heart can be 2 feet long and weigh about 25 pounds (11 kilograms), making it one of the largest hearts in the animal kingdom. It needs to be this large to pump blood all the way up to the brain!
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Tall from Birth: When a baby giraffe—known as a calf—is born, it can stand up and walk within about an hour. It can be 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall at birth!
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Picky Eaters: Giraffes are browsers, meaning they eat a variety of vegetation. However, their favorite food is leaves from the Acacia tree. They even navigate around the tree's thorns with their long, prehensile tongues.
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Unique Pattern: Just like human fingerprints, no two giraffes have the same spot pattern. This makes them unique among their species.
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Sleepy Heads: Giraffes don't sleep much; they often get by on just 30 minutes to 2 hours of sleep per day, often taken in short naps of a few minutes at a time. When they do sleep, it's often standing up.
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Great Vision: Giraffes have excellent vision, which along with their height, allows them to keep an eye out for predators from far away.
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Social Animals: Giraffes are social animals and they live in groups, known as 'towers'. Towers are usually led by an adult male and can contain up to 20 members.
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Unique Sounds: It was once believed that giraffes were silent creatures, but they can actually make a variety of sounds, including grunts, hisses, and even low-frequency noises that are too low for humans to hear. They also communicate through body language and visual signals.
Giraffes are fascinating creatures!
