A truly majestic looking and popular animal, here are 14 facts the team at PubChat have put together about giraffes that you may not already know. Like a lot of the ‘general knowledge’ we feature it’s probably not the most common topic for discussion!
- Tallest land animal: Adult giraffes can reach a height of 5.5–6 metres (18–20 feet) tall.
- Long neck, same bones: Giraffes have 7 neck vertebrae, the same number as humans, they’re just very stretched.
- Purple tongues: Their tongues are blue-black / purple colour, this helps to protect them from sunburn.
- Heart power: A giraffe’s heart can weigh up to 11 kg and has to pump blood all the way up their neck with enough pressure to survive gravity.
- Quick naps: They sleep as little as 30 minutes a day, often in short bursts of just a few minutes.
- Silent communicators: Giraffes are mostly quiet but can communicate using infrasound, a combination of low-frequency sounds that humans can’t hear.
- Unique patterns: No two giraffes have the same coat pattern, much like fingerprints on humans.
- Fast runners: They can run up to 60 km/h (37 mph) in short bursts.
- Deadly kicks: A giraffe’s kick is so powerful it is capable of killing a lion.
- Odd walk: They move both legs on one side at the same time (a pacing gait).
- Short labour, tall drop: Newborn giraffes fall about 1.5 metres (5 feet) to the ground at birth.
- Extra valves: Special valves in their neck veins stop blood rushing to the brain when they bend down.
- Conservation status: Giraffes are currently listed as Vulnerable, with populations declining in the wild.
- Long tongues: they have muscular tongues that can be up to 20 inches long, allowing them to groom their own faces and ears with them
