Fun Facts About Giraffes

1. Giraffes are the tallest land animals on Earth
An adult giraffe can grow up to 6 meters tall! Their long neck helps them reach the high leaves of trees, especially acacias, which are their favorite food.

2. Giraffes have the same number of neck vertebrae as humans
Despite their long neck, giraffes have only 7 cervical vertebrae – just like humans – but each one is over 25 cm long!

3. A giraffe’s tongue is long and dark-colored
The giraffe’s tongue can be up to 45 cm (18 inches) long. Its bluish-black color helps protect it from sunburn while they eat leaves for hours every day.

4. Giraffes have incredibly strong hearts
To pump blood all the way to their brain, a giraffe’s heart can weigh up to 11 kg (24 lbs) and generates twice the blood pressure of a human heart.

5. Giraffes sleep very little
Giraffes only sleep around 30 minutes per day, usually in short naps. They often sleep standing up to avoid predators.

6. Each giraffe has a unique pattern
Just like human fingerprints, every giraffe has a different spot pattern. These spots also help them blend into the savanna environment.

7. Giraffes communicate with infrasound
Although they seem silent, giraffes use low-frequency sounds that are below the range of human hearing to communicate with each other.