How Much Do You Know About Giraffes?
How long is a giraffe's tongue?
- A giraffe can (and does) use its tongue to clean its face and nose.
How many vertebrae does a giraffe have in its neck?
- Almost all mammals, bar a very select few, have seven vertebrae. Their vertebrae are just bigger.
How tall is a giraffe at birth?
- Giraffes, despite being so tall at birth, still fall a decent height thanks to how tall their mothers are. A newborn might fall its full height down to the ground.
How do male giraffes establish dominance?
- Older male giraffes develop heavier and harder heads so they can neck better. The strongest giraffes, ironically, have very big heads about it.
How long is the average giraffe lifespan?
- Giraffes actually live startlingly large relative to other ruminant animals. And, despite the common idea that every creature lives for "one billion heartbeats," giraffes' hearts beat extra fast to get blood up those long necks.
Which of the following is true about giraffe mating?
- By some estimates, over 70% of giraffe intimacy is between same-sex males. Same-sex female pairs are less common, but have also been observed.
Which of the following is false about giraffe necks?
- If a giraffe's neck was proportionally full-length when it was born, it would cause birth complications. They then have complex circulatory systems that keep their blood pressure steady when moving their head.
What are those nubs on a giraffe's head called?
- Or rather, people think they're used for heat regulation. No one's entirely sure. They also have some minor use in necking.
How many species of giraffe are there?
- The one thing we know for sure is that there used to be more giraffe species than there are now.
What were giraffes historically called?
- Cameleopard. Because it looks like a camel and a leopard. It sounds silly, but that is still the genus name for giraffes.
