Bloodhound: Facts About Giraffe

Being the tallest of all land-living species, the giraffe is a very fascinating animal. The male giraffe is known to have a height of 4.8 to 5.5 metres (16 to 18 feet tall) and weighs up to 1300 kilograms (i.e. 3,000 pounds). The female giraffe is comparatively short in height and also weighs less. The name ‘giraffe’ is born out of an Arab word, ‘Xirapha’ meaning ‘one that can walk very fast’. This animal is one unique creature because despite its very long neck, the giraffe has equal number of cervical vertebrae as a human being. Read this article to know more interesting and amazing facts about the giraffe.

Facts About Giraffe

Class - Mammalia
Order - Artiodactyla
Family - Giraffidae
Genus - Giraffa
Species - Camelopardalis
Names – male: bull
Female: cow
Young: calf
Group: herd
Range – Mostly south of Sahara and East Africa.
Habitat - Dry savannas and open woodland.
Size (Height) - Males are about 5.5 m (17 ft) tall, whereas females are about 4.3 m (14 ft) tall.
Feeding Habits - Giraffes are herbivores. They generally eat leaves from acacia, mimosa and wild apricot trees.
Offspring – Female giraffe begins breeding when of around four years of age. The gestation period is usually of about 15 months. Mothers nurse for a year and the calf stays close for several more months.
Life Span – About 25 years in the wild.

Interesting and Amazing Information on Giraffe

* A just born giraffe measures around six (6) feet in height.
* The giraffe is an animal that is born with a horn.
* Its scientific name is Giraffa Camelopardalis.
* The coat pattern on each giraffe is unique.
* The adult giraffe’s tongue is 27 inches long.
* The giraffe is a vegetarian animal, which survives on the leaves of the baobab tree.
* Each step taken by the giraffe is 15 feet in length.
* Giraffe holds things like leaves with the assistance of its long tongue.
* A five to 30 minutes’ sleep a day is enough for the giraffe.
* The neck of the giraffe has got flexible blood vessels, which make it possible for it to have water from the flowing stream.
* A group of giraffes is called a herd.
* Giraffes engage in neck wrestling matches to command authority in a herd.
* The giraffe is regarded as being amongst the largest, strongest and the most peaceful animals on this planet.
* The adult male giraffe is called a bull.
* The adult female giraffe is called a cow
* A young giraffe is called a calf.
* A big male giraffe can consume about 100 pounds of food in one day.
* The age of the giraffe can be calculated from its spots. The darker the spots, the older is the giraffe.
* The biggest enemies of the giraffe are lions and huge packs of hyenas.
* Giraffe’s kick is so strong that it can also kill a lion.
* The heart of the giraffe weighs 24 pounds and is two feet in length.
* Giraffes are social animals that live in open herds.
* You will seldom see a giraffe lying down. It can nap as well as give birth standing up.
* The giraffe is a silent and peaceful creature, but it is definitely not voiceless. Sounds like the bleating of calves and the bellowing of cows have been heard.
* The giraffe can live without water for long durations.
* Giraffes have excellent eyesight, which assists them on keeping an eye on each other from a distance.