Giraffe Facts
To help celebrate these gentle giants, we thought we would share some of our favourite facts about giraffe
How tall are giraffe?
Giraffe are the world’s tallest living animal, standing at around 4 – 5 metres in height. The tallest giraffe ever recorded was 5.9 metres. Their height helps them to feed high up in the tree canopies and to keep a look out for predators. Despite having such long necks, they only have seven vertebrae – the same number as humans. Even so, their neck is too short to reach the ground to drink, so they have to awkwardly shuffle and spread out their front legs to reach water.
What do giraffe eat?
Giraffe are herbivores, eating up to 45 kg of leaves and twigs a day. Their favourite is the thorny acacia. They use their long bluish to purple coloured tongue (which is up to 50 cm long) to rip fresh leaves from between the spikes of the acacia tree. They are also known to eat bones – chewing on carcasses to obtain calcium and phosphorous to help strengthen their own bones. Giraffe are one of nature’s pollinators – as they wander around feeding from the tops of the trees their muzzles inadvertently transfer pollen from the flowers of one tree to another.
Each giraffe has a unique coat
Just like our fingerprints, no two giraffe have the same coat pattern. Their markings help with camouflage and regulate their body temperature as the coloured skin patches help to dissipate heat around their body. Researchers can identify and study individuals by their coat patterns.
What is a group of giraffe called?
Giraffe are very social, roaming around in groups called ‘Towers’. Typically these comprise of females with their young, and smaller loosely associated ‘towers’ of males.
Are giraffe silent?
It had been thought that giraffe are very quiet mammals, not making noises, but research now suggests that they hum at night, occasionally snorting and grunting as well.
Can giraffe swim?
Giraffe were thought to be the only mammal in the world that could not swim, as their long, spindly legs would not provide them with enough purchase to support their neck whilst their short body reduced buoyancy. A study in 2010 used a complex digital model to prove that theoretically they can swim in water deeper than 2.8 metres. They would look strange, with their heavy front legs tipping them forward, and their head cranked backward to keep them from downing. You can read more about this theory in The Journal of Theology Biology.
Why do giraffe fight?
Young males play fight, whilst adult males fight to establish dominance, or compete to win the right to mate with a female. Males push and shove each other, butting their long necks and heads together – called ‘necking’. These fights can become very aggressive, with the loser walking away, being knocked out or sometimes even killed.
How do females give birth?
Females give birth standing up. A new born calf drops 1.5 metres onto the ground and is able to get up and walk within 30 minutes. It is thought that their long gestation period – 15 months – helps a calf become more developed in the womb, so it can stand and walk at a very young age. Calves are born with ‘horns’, called ‘ossicones’. To avoid injury during birth, these horns lie flat, only fusing and attaching to their skull as they grow.
How do giraffe sleep?
Despite their size, giraffe have the shortest sleep requirements of all mammals – only sleeping for less than 4 hours in a 24 hour period. They can nap whilst standing up and lying down. Calves lower themselves to the ground, tucking their legs beneath their bodies and rest their heads on their back. Adults have a similar style but sleep for shorter periods of a few minutes at a time, keeping alert for predators.
How long do giraffe live?
Giraffe can live for up to 25 years in the wild – and up to 40 years in captivity. Baby giraffe are very vulnerable, being an easy target for wild dogs, hyenas, lions and leopards, whilst an adult’s main predators are lions and humans! Giraffe are becoming increasingly endangered due to poaching and deforestation, with populations across Africa decreasing up to 40% over the last three decades.
Where can you spot giraffe in Zambia?
You can spot giraffe in the wild in South Luangwa, Mosi-au-Tunya, Sioma Ngwezu and Lusaka National Parks. You can also find them in many of the private game farms around the country.
