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Giraffes are the tallest land animals. A giraffe could look into a second-story window without even having to stand on its tiptoes! A giraffe's 6-foot-long neck weighs about 600 pounds. The legs of a giraffe are also 6 feet long. The back legs look shorter than the front legs, but they are about the same length.

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A giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) is a mammal which lives in Africa. Giraffes and Okapi are the family Giraffidae.

Giraffes are the tallest land animals. Fully grown giraffes stand 4.3-5.7 m (14.1-18.7 ft) tall, with males taller than females. The tallest recorded male was 5.88 m (19.3 ft) and the tallest recorded female was 5.17 m (17.0 ft) tall. Giraffes have an even number of toes.

They live on the savannah, which is the African grassland, or in light woodland. They do not live in thick forests where it is difficult to see predators, such as lions, approaching.

Giraffes eat leaves from tall trees and sometimes fruit, which they can reach because of their long legs and long necks. They also feed on shrubs and eat grass. They can go without water for weeks.

Giraffes live alone or in groups. Young male giraffes form small groups until they become mature. Adult males live alone. Females form groups of 4-32 animals. When the female is close to giving birth, it leaves the group for a time to give birth to its offspring, and comes back 2-3 weeks after her baby is born.

After a pregnancy of 14-15 months, the female gives birth to usually a single baby (which is called "calf"). Giraffes give birth while standing, so the baby falls down 2 metres. Giraffe calves are already 2 m tall and weigh 50-55 kg. The calf stays with its mother for 1½ years. Young giraffes become mature when they are 4 years old, and they are fully grown when they are 6 years old.

Giraffes live around 25 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity.

Subspecies

Different authorities have recognized different numbers of subspecies, differentiated by size, coloration, coat pattern and range. Some of these subspecies may prove to be separate species, as they appear to be reproductively isolated despite their mobility. Up to nine subspecies are recognized.

Appearance

A fully grown giraffe is typically 5-6 meters (16-20 ft) tall, with males taller than females. The average weight is 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb) for an adult male and 830 kilograms (1,830 lb) for an adult female. The coat is made up of brown blotches or patches separated by lighter hair.

Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern. The patches may serve as camouflage, since they mimic the dappled combination of light and shade in savanna woodlands. They may also serve as thermal windows, being the site of large blood vessels and sweat glands. The giraffe's fur may serve as a chemical defence, as it is full of antibiotics and parasite repellents that give the animal a characteristic scent. Along the animal's neck is a brown mane made of short, stiff hairs.

The tail has a black terminal tuft and is used to swat flies away. In comparison with other animals such as deer and cattle, the giraffe has proportionally larger eyes, with which it can locate food and distant predators from its great height. Giraffes also have color vision, enabling them to recognize each other.

Skull and horns

Both sexes have prominent horns, or ossicones, formed from ossified cartilage and covered in skin. The horns are fused to the skull at the parietal bones. The appearance of the horns is a reliable method of identifying the sex of giraffes: the horns of females display tufts of hair on top, whereas those of males are larger and tend to be bald on top. There is also a median horn, which is more developed in males, at the anterior of the skull. A giraffe's skull is lightened by sinuses. However, as males get older, their skulls become heavier and more club-like, helping them become more dominant in combat.

Legs, locomotion and posture

The front legs of a giraffe are about 10% longer than its hind legs. The radius and ulna of the front legs are articulated by the carpus which, while structurally equivalent to the human wrist, functions as a knee. True knees exist in the hind legs. The hooves are quite large: up to 6 inches across in males and up to 4 inches across in females.

A giraffe has only two gaits: walking and galloping. Walking is done by moving the legs on one side of the body at the same time, then doing the same on the other side. The apparent inflexibility of its legs give it a stiff gait when walking. When galloping, the giraffe's front and hind legs work in pairs. The animal brings its hind legs ahead of and outside its front legs. It then lifts the front legs and pushes off with the hind legs, propelling it forward. The giraffe can reach a sprint speed of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) but cannot sustain a lengthy chase.

A giraffe prefers to rest lying down with its legs folded underneath its body. To get back up, it gets on its front "knees" and swings its head up with a jerk as the front legs straighten. It then splays its hind legs and raises its hindquarters. The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, averaging only 4.5 or 4.6 hours of sleep per day. It can sleep lying down with its neck folded and its head resting on the rump or hind leg. If it wants to bend down to drink, the giraffe either spreads its front legs or bends its "knees".

Giraffes are assumed to be unable to swim. It has been estimated that the giraffe's proportionally larger limbs have very high rotational inertias that would make rapid swimming motions strenuous. A swimming giraffe would be forced into a posture where the neck is sub-horizontal, and since the thorax would be pulled downwards by the large fore limbs, it would not be able to move the neck and limbs synchronously in the water, as it does when moving on land. This might further hamper the animal's ability to move its limbs effectively under water. A computer simulation conducted by Scientific American suggested that, while a giraffe could float, "they would be clumsy and unstable in water". The simulation suggests that the high density of the giraffe's limb bones would make it slow and cause it to experience high drag. Furthermore, the weight of the forelimbs and shoulder would pull the front of the giraffe down, straining its neck.

The giraffe has an extremely elongated neck, which can be over 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) in length, accounting for nearly half of the animal's vertical height. The long neck results from a disproportionate elongation of the cervical vertebrae, not from the addition of more vertebrae. The cervical vertebrae comprise about 45 to 50 percent of the giraffe's vertebral column, compared with the 30 percent typical of similar large ungulates, including the giraffe's closest extant relative, the okapi. This elongation, which occurs in large part after birth, is a 150% increase in vertebrae length over similar sized animals. The giraffe's seven elongated cervical vertebrae are strung with tendons and muscles to a shoulder hump which serves as an anchor point. This is similar to the design of a crane.

Because of its long neck, the giraffe inhales a lot of air that is not used for respiration, and the windpipe contains a mix of inhaled and exhaled air, resulting in low oxygen levels. Therefore the giraffe must breathe more regularly than expected for an animal of its size and takes more than 20 breaths a minute when resting.

There are two main hypotheses regarding the evolutionary origin of elongation in giraffe necks. The "competing browsers hypothesis" was originally suggested by Charles Darwin and only challenged recently. It suggests that competitive pressure from smaller browsers, such as kudu, steenbok, and impala, drove the elongation of the neck so giraffes could reach food that competitors could not. This advantage is real, as giraffes can and do feed up to 5 m, while even quite large competitors, such as kudu, can only feed up to about 2 meters (6 ft 7 in).

There is also research suggesting that browsing competition below 2 m is intense, and giraffes feed more efficiently (gaining more leaf biomass per bite) higher in the canopy. However, scientists disagree about just how much time giraffes spend feeding at levels beyond the reach of other browsers. Although giraffes can feed as low as 0.5 meters (1 ft 8 in) and as high as 6 meters (20 ft) above the ground, it appears that they most often feed at 2-4 meters (6 ft 7 in - 13 ft 1 in).

The other main theory, the sexual selection hypothesis, proposes that the long necks evolved as a secondary sexual characteristic, giving males an advantage in "necking" contests (see below) to establish dominance and obtain access to sexually receptive females. In support of this theory, males have proportionally larger necks than females, and males with longer, bigger necks are more successful in dominance displays and courtship behavior. However, this theory fails to adequately explain why female giraffes also have long necks.

Behavior and ecology

Habitat and feeding

Giraffes usually inhabit savannas, grasslands and open woodlands. They are most common in , Commiphora, Combretum and open Terminalia woodlands and much less common in denser Brachystegia woodland. Giraffes browse on the twigs of trees, preferring trees of genera Acacia, Commiphora and Terminalia. They also feed on shrubs and eat grass and fruit. In Southern Africa, giraffes feed on all acacias, especially Acacia erioloba. The tongue and lips are tough enough to allow them to feed on trees with sharp thorns. The giraffe's tongue is about 45 centimeters (18 in) long and prehensile, so it can grasp leaves and pull them into the mouth. A giraffe can eat 65 pounds (29 kg) of leaves and twigs daily, but can survive on just 15 pounds (6.8 kg).

During the wet season, food is abundant and giraffes disperse widely, but during the dry season they need to congregate around evergreen trees and bushes. The giraffe uses its lower incisor teeth to "comb" leaves from trees while browsing. As a ruminant, it first chews its food, then swallows it for processing and then visibly passes the half-digested cud up the neck and back into the mouth to chew again. This process is usually repeated several times for each mouthful.

The giraffe requires less food than typical grazing animals, because the foliage it eats has more concentrated nutrients, and it has a more efficient digestive system. Compared with domestic cattle, giraffes have a relatively short small intestine and a relatively long large intestine, giving it a small ratio of small to large intestine. The giraffe can survive without water for extended periods. When water is available, it may drink at intervals of three days or less. Giraffes can also get water from green leaves, especially when covered in dew.

Giraffes have great effects on the trees that they browse on, keeping young trees short for a year longer than usual and forming waistlines around trees whose tops are unreachable. Browsing by giraffes also gives trees a globular or hourglass shape and keeps bushes down to less than a meter. Feeding periods peak during the first and last hours of daylight. In between those hours, a giraffe may pass the time standing and ruminating. Rumination is the dominant activity during the night, when it is mostly done lying down.

Social structure

While giraffes are usually found in groups, the composition of these groups is more fluid than in other social ungulates. They have few strong social bonds, and aggregations usually disband every few hours, although calving groups can last weeks or months.

For research purposes, a "group" has been defined as "a collection of individuals that are less than a kilometer apart and moving in the same general direction." Giraffe groups usually consist of just a few members, although 40 or more occur on occasion.

Adult males tend to be solitary. Female giraffes associate in groups of roughly a dozen, occasionally including a few younger males. Calves and subadults are rarely alone. Subadult males, in particular, are gregarious and may engage in playfights. Giraffe groups with young tend to feed in more open areas, presumably to make it easier to detect predators, although it may reduce their feeding efficiency.

Although generally quiet and non-vocal, giraffes have been heard to communicate with various sounds. Courting males emit loud coughs. Females call their young by whistling or bellowing. Calves bleat, moo or make mewing sounds. Giraffes also grunt, snort, hiss, make strange flute-like sounds, and communicate over long distances using infrasound. To produce an infrasound signal, a giraffe usually lowers its chin and then quickly raises it.

Birthing and parental care

Giraffe gestation lasts between 400 and 460 days, after which a single calf is normally born, although twins occasionally occur. The mother gives birth standing up, and both amniotic sac and umbilical cord usually break when the newborn falls to the ground. A newborn giraffe has a fragile neck and it is thus important that its legs break the fall. A newborn giraffe is about 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) tall. Within a few hours of birth, the calf can run around and is indistinguishable from one a week old; however, for the first two weeks, it spends most of its time lying down, guarded by the mother. Their coat pattern provides camouflage when they are hiding. The horns, which have lain flat since it was in the womb, become erect within a few days.

Mothers with calves will gather in nursery herds, usually consisting of two or more infants and/or juveniles and their mothers moving or browsing together. Mothers in such a group may sometimes leave their calves with one female while they travel to other areas. This is known as a "calving pool". Males play almost no role in raising the young. The young are vulnerable to predators.

A mother giraffe will stand over her young and kick at a predator that comes near. Giraffes only defend their own young; they form calving herds for selfish reasons. A mother has a strong maternal bond with her calf, lasting until her next calving. Calves suckle for 13 months and continue to associate with their mothers for another 2-5 months.

Male giraffes use their necks to hit each other in combat, a behavior known as "necking". Necking is used to establish dominance and can occur at low or high intensity. In low intesity necking, the combatants gently rub their heads and necks together and lean heavily against each other, while flapping their ears and rubbing shoulders, perhaps to assess their comparative weights. The winner of such a bout is the male that can hold itself more erect.

Because of their size, adult giraffes are almost invulnerable to predation. Calves, on the other hand, are preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and wild dogs. Lions are capable of killing adult giraffes if they can make them fall over and then secure a bite on the throat or nose. In Kruger National Park, giraffes of any age are an important food source for lions.

Nile crocodiles may also take giraffes when they bend down to drink. A giraffe can defend itself with powerful kicks which can kill a predator when well-placed. Some parasites also feed on giraffes. Ticks are known to infest them. Giraffes have mutual relationships with red-billed and yellow-billed oxpeckers, which clean them of ticks and alert them to danger. A quarter to a half of giraffe calves reach adulthood. Maximum lifespan is around 25 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity.

Relationship with humans

Cultural significance

Giraffes were commonly depicted in the rock and cave art of prehistoric Africa. Some of the earliest of these pictures were made by the palaeolithic Kiffian people, who lived around 8000 BC in modern-day Niger. The Kiffian were responsible for a life-size rock engraving of two giraffes, which has been called the "world's largest rock art petroglyph".

The Ancient Egyptians commonly depicted giraffes in tomb paintings and kept them as pets. The Egyptians shipped giraffes from East Africa and exported them from Alexandria to ports around the Mediterranean. Giraffes were also known to the Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans, who referred to them as camelopardalis, a name thought to have derived from the belief that the giraffe was an unnatural cross between a camel and a leopard. The giraffe was among the many animals collected and displayed by the Romans as exotic spoils of conquered lands. The first giraffe in Rome was imported by Julius Caesar and exhibited to the public.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the people of Europe were no longer able to keep and display giraffes. During the Middle Ages, giraffes were mostly forgotten by Europeans, except in legends from Arab travelers. Arab prophets and poets considered the giraffe the "queen of beasts" for what they saw as its delicate features and fragile form. Eastern sultans prized them as special pets. In 1414, a giraffe was taken from Somalia to China and placed in a Ming Dynasty zoo. Its arrival caused a sensation, as it was thought to be the mythical qilin. The Medici giraffe was a giraffe presented to Lorenzo de' Medici in 1486. It caused a great stir on its arrival in Florence, being reputedly the first living giraffe to be seen in Italy since antiquity. Another famous giraffe, called Zarafa, was brought from Egypt to Paris in the early 19th century. Zarafa also caused a sensation and was the subject of numerous memorabilia or "giraffanalia".

Giraffes continue to have a presence in modern culture. Salvador Dalí depicted them in some of his surrealist paintings, most often in various states of conflagration. Dali considered the giraffe to be a symbol of masculinity, and a flaming giraffe was meant to be a "masculine cosmic apocalyptic monster". Giraffes have also appeared in animated films, as minor characters in The Lion King and , and in more prominent roles in and in the Madagascar films. Sophie the Giraffe is a popular teether that has been a favorite toy for babies since 1961. Another famous fictional giraffe is the Toys "R" Us mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe.

Images for kids

The extinct giraffid Samotherium (middle) in comparison with the okapi (below) and giraffe. The anatomy of Samotherium appears to have shown a transition to a giraffe-like neck.

Reticulated giraffe bending down to drink in Kenya. The circulatory system is adapted to deal with blood flow rushing down its neck.

Painting of a giraffe imported to China during the Ming dynasty

Endangered West African giraffe near Koure, Niger

In Spanish: Giraffa para niños

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This page contains giraffe facts for kids (and adults). With their distinctive long necks and legs, giraffes are the tallest land animals in the world. They grace the African savannah with their unique beauty and peaceful, social demeanor. Let us explore the height, appetite, and life of this gentle giant. Read on for more interesting facts about giraffes...

Facts About Giraffes

Where Do Giraffes Live?

Giraffes are native to Africa, and are found between Chad and South Africa. They live wherever acacia trees are in abundance, and spend much of their time feasting on the leaves of this tree. Giraffes eat about 100 lbs of greens every day.

Giraffes use their 21-inch long tongues to wrap around the leaves, pulling them from the tree. Because the leaves contain so much water, giraffes only need to drink water from the watering hole once every several days. This is a good thing, because when the giraffe stoops to drink water, they put themselves in a compromising position with their spread-out legs, making them a target for predators such as the crocodile.

How Tall Are Giraffes?

Giraffes range in size from 16-18 feet tall. They weigh between 1,600lbs and 3,000lbs, with the males weighing almost 1,000lbs more than the females. Their necks and legs are both around six feet long, the height of a tall man. With their long legs, they are able to run up to 35 miles per hour. In fact, the name giraffe means "fast walker."

Ossicones: Giraffe Horns

On top of their heads are two horns, called ossicones, which are made of cartilage. One way you can tell the difference between a female and male giraffe (besides their size) is that the female's ossicones will be covered with hair, while the male's ossicones are bare. The males use their ossicones to spar with one another; they also fight with each other by "necking" when they swing their heads at each other and tangle their necks together.

Giraffe Markings

No two giraffes have the same markings, although those found in the same region will have a similar appearance. With their leopard-like markings and the small hump on their backs, giraffes used to be called camel-leopards, which is why they are of the species Camelopardalis. Their coloring varies from tan to yellow to white, with reddish to chestnut-brown spots.

Family Life

Giraffes are not territorial, although they live in groups (called a "tower") of 12-15 giraffes, with an older male (bull) leading them. The females (cows) carry one baby at a time for 15 months before giving birth. When the calf is born to the standing mother, it falls nearly five feet to the ground- ouch! Recovering quickly, they are up and walking within the first hour, running after ten hours. These "babies" are nearly six feet tall at birth, weighing 100-150lbs.

Those first weeks are a dangerous time for the new calf and its mother. She keeps her baby away from the tower in a nursery group with other calves, shielding him from predators. Only about half of newborn giraffes survive, though. At three to six years, they reach maturity, and they can live as long as 25 years.

Giraffe Adaptations

Giraffes have several adaptations, here are five of the most interesting:

1. The giraffe has special valves to protect its brain and keep it from blacking out when it lowers its head to drink; they both constrict and release blood flow.

2. Their height and excellent vision enable them to communicate with each other over long distances and to anticipate predators.

3. Their strong legs are a great defense against their primary predator, the lion. They have been known to shatter the skull of a lion with just one kick!

4. The giraffe has thick, sticky saliva that protects it from the thorny branches of the acacia tree.

5. The giraffe's uniquely patterned spots provide a camouflage in the grassland environment.

The Rothschild Giraffe

One of the tallest subspecies of giraffes, the Rothschild Giraffe (named after Lord Walter Rothschild), stands nearly 20 feet tall and weighs up to 2500 pounds. Rothschild Giraffes are primarily found in one of two wildlife refuges in the Lake Baringo region of Kenya, which is why they are referred to as the Baringo Giraffe. However, they are also seen in the eastern part of Uganda.

Rothschild giraffes live in a variety of habitats, including wooded areas and along the Sahara Desert.

Unfortunately, they are in danger of extinction. Due to the extreme poaching habits of hunters in Kenya, there are only 670 left in the wild today.

The Rothschild giraffe has several distinctive features that separate it from the other species. To begin, they can have up to five horns, instead of the customary two. An additional horn can be found in the center of their head with two more behind it. Also, their markings are different from other subspecies of giraffes; they are similar to that of a leopard, in beautiful orange and brown markings. They have dark patches on a white background. These markings stop at the top of their legs, turning into increasingly spread out speckles that end in pure white at the knee or below. Finally, the males and females live separately unless they are mating.

Giraffe Facts For Kids

1. There are nine subspecies of giraffes.

2. The giraffe and okapi are the only two members of the Giraffidae family.

3. The giraffe is a ruminant animal. This means they regurgitate their food, chewing it over and over again, like a cow. They also have four chambers in their stomach, like the cow.

4. Giraffes can drink 10 gallons of water at a time.

5. In order to pump blood through their long, large bodies, giraffes have an equally large heart. It weighs 22-24lbs and beats 170 times per minute.

6. The giraffe moves at two rates: an amble (about 10 mph) and the gallop (up to 35mph). Their front and back legs on one side move together, followed by the front and back legs on the other side. When they gallop, their back legs will pass in front of the front legs.

7. The giraffe's tongue is a blue-black color.

8. A giraffe's lungs can hold 12 gallons of air.

9. Giraffes only sleep for 20 minutes to 2 hours every day.

10. Giraffes can't swim.

Discover More with Active Wild

We hope that you have enjoyed these giraffe facts for kids. You can discover more amazing African animals on this page: African Animals List with Pictures and Facts

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Giraffe Facts For Kids: Information & Pictures from Active Wild

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Giraffe information & facts for kids. Learn about this graceful African animal. Where do giraffes live? How tall are they? The Rothschild giraffe & more.

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This animal is well known for its super long neck and towering height - it is the tallest land animal in the world, after all, so that isn't much of a surprise.

I bet you already know who I'm talking about - it's the giraffe!

Native to the continent Africa, there are many other interesting things to learn about this amazing animal besides the obvious.

Read these very interesting facts so you can surprise your friends and family with your newfound giraffe knowledge.

Where do Giraffes live?

Giraffes like to live in very dry climates! You can find them in savannas, grasslands, and open forests.

Since giraffes are native to Africa, a very hot and dry place, they can definitely take the heat!

What do they eat and drink?

Giraffes like to roam and browse for their food, with Acacia leaves and shoots making up the bulk of their diet. They also enjoy leaves, herbs, and vines.

Despite popular belief, most giraffes do not eat very much grass.

Giraffes do, however, spend a lot of their time eating in general and can consume a whopping 100 lb of twigs and leaves a day.

it has been estimated that during certain times of the year giraffes spend 75 percent of their time roaming for food and eating!

Giraffes don't need much water despite being extremely large! Partly because they are able to use water from the plants they eat.

They only take the occasional drink (about once every few days), so they are often found far away from water sources.

How tall are giraffes?

As we mentioned, the giraffe is the tallest type of mammal in the entire world. Do you realize how many tall mammals there are?

Yet the giraffe outgrows them all! A male giraffe can grow up to 18 feet (5.5 meters), while a female giraffe can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters).

The legs of a giraffe average about six feet (1.8 meters) - that's actually taller than many humans!

Giraffes also have the longest tail of any mammal. Their tails can be up to 8 feet (or 2.4 meters) long.

Even though giraffes have very long necks their necks are too short to reach the ground because of their tall height.

This means when giraffes have to get a drink of water, they have to bend their front legs awkwardly to reach the ground. Imagine if you had to do that just to get a drink of water! Pretty crazy isn't it?

Giraffes aren't only tall, they can weigh quite a lot, too! The average male giraffe weighs between 2,400 to 3,000 pounds, while the average female can weigh anywhere from 1,600 to 2,600 pounds!

Giraffe is the 3rd heaviest animal in the world, after Elephants and Rhinos.

The spots on a giraffe are very distinctive, and look like human fingerprints. Interestingly enough, no two giraffes have the same set of spots.

Just like two snowflakes or sets of fingerprints are not the same either! Now that's pretty cool, isn't it? Even the giraffes are telling us that being unique is awesome!

Giraffe Neck

The Giraffe has a very long neck that can stretch over 7 feet long, which is nearly half it's overall height.

The long neck gives the Giraffe a slender appearance, even though the rest of its body is muscular and strong.

Giraffes, like humans, have 7 vertebrae in the neck.

Giraffe Tongue

Giraffes have long tongues that can grow over 50 cm. They use these massive tongues to pull down leaves efficiently.

Their tongue is a peculiar bluish black and purple color. Many think that this dark pigmentation is to protect their tongue from the Sun while they munch leaves from the top of the trees.

Giraffe Heart

Compared to the human heart that weighs just 0.7 lb , the Giraffe's heart is truly massive and weighs as much as 25 lb.

Giraffe's heart is the second heaviest of all land animals, just after the elephant.

For sheer size, it is the biggest, and no other land animal has such large heart size, not even the elephant.

Their heart pumps 60 liters of blood every single minute.

Giraffe Hooves

With hooves (30 cm) the size of a dinner plate, they are able to maintain balance despite their great height.

Their massive legs, strong foot and big hooves make for a powerful kick. They can and have killed lions with a single kick, yes! just one kick!

Those wide hooves also keeps them from sinking into loose sands.

Giraffe Horns

Both male and female giraffes have two horns on their head.

These horns are called ossicones and many males giraffes have thicker, less hairy ossicones than female giraffes. This is due to the sparring they do with other male giraffes.

Giraffe Calf

Female Giraffe's stand and give birth to baby giraffes. What this means is their babies get the 1.8 meter drop at birth - aahh!

Giraffe calves are already big at birth. They weight 100 lb and are close to 2m tall right after birth.

Giraffe calves live with their mother till they are 1.5-2 years old. They mature at 4 years and are considered fully grown at 6.

Giraffe calves depend on their mother for protection, many don't live past 1 year, due to predation from lions.

Giraffe Defenses

Adult male Giraffes are large and imposing. A single lion or hyena is no match. It would take a full pride of lions to take one down, and even then many such attempts are unsuccessful.

The Giraffe uses its height and excellent eyesight to spot predators like lions and hyenas from far.

Giraffe's mass and legs also work as defenses, they can stomp and kick predators to death. Adult giraffes are not easy lunch and most predators don't bother, unless there is a giraffe calf with the adult.

Animals like antelopes and zebras often graze near Giraffes to benefit from the giraffes ability to spot danger from a distance.

How long do Giraffes live

In the wild these gentle giants live for around 25 years, but in captivity few have lived over 40.

Are Giraffes Friendly

Giraffes are sensitive, gentle, social and friendly. They are not aggressive by nature, but do not usually like to be touched.

There are some zoos that allow people to feed adult giraffes.

More Fun Giraffe facts

Here's a funny mental image - giraffes, despite being very tall and very heavy, can run pretty quickly for their size!

The average giraffe will surprise you by running as fast as 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour over shorter distances, and 10 miles (16 kilometers) per hour over longer distances.

You can thank those long legs for that ability!

Male giraffes can be called bulls, while female giraffes can be called cows.

Believe it or not, giraffes spend most of their lives standing up. Yes, you read that right! Giraffes can even sleep standing up. Don't try that one at home!

Actually, giraffes don't sleep that often anyway. Many giraffes only require 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hour period, which of course is far less than the 7 or 8 hours we humans need.

Believe it or not, giraffes can stand up within an hour of being born! They're pretty far ahead of us humans aren't they?

A giraffe's heart is typically 2 feet long and weighs around 25 pounds (11) kilogram, the biggest heart of any land animal.

A giraffe's heart weighs the same as the average two year old!

It was initially thought that Giraffes don't make sounds, but now it is well accepted that they bellow and make flute like sounds, and that a lot of their sounds are beyond range of human hearing.

Endangered Species

Certain kinds of giraffes are now endangered - this means they are at danger of becoming extinct.

The West African giraffe and the Rothschild's giraffe are both endangered. As a whole, the population of giraffes has decreased over the years, making some animal conservationists very worried.

In 1999, there were an estimated greater than 140,000 giraffes in Africa, while today the estimate is less than 80,000 giraffes.

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Fun Giraffe Facts For Kids [Pictures Inside]

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This animal is well known for its super long neck and towering height - it is the tallest land animal in the world, after all, so that isn't much of a surprise. I bet you already know who I'm talking about - it's the giraffe!

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At an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.), the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world.

Characterized by its long legs, long neck, and distinctive spotted pattern, many people first believed the giraffe was a cross between a leopard and a camel, which is reflected in its scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis.

Giraffes live primarily in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Their extreme height allows them to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach. In particular, they seek out acacia trees. Their long tongues are helpful in eating because they help pull leaves from the trees. Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb.) of leaves and twigs a day.

The male giraffe is both taller and heavier than the female. Both sexes have skin-covered knobs, called ossicones, on the top of their heads. Female ossicones are smaller and have a small tuft of fur on top, while male ossicones are bald on the top. These knobs are used to protect the head when males fight, which involves swinging their necks at each other in a show of strength called "necking."

When giraffes walk, they move both legs on one side of their body and then both legs on the other side, which is unusual. However, they run in a similar style to other mammals, swinging their rear legs and front legs in unison. They can reach 55 km/h (35 mph) at full speed but only in brief spurts.

Giraffes sleep less than two hours a day. In general, they sleep with their feet tucked under them and their head resting on their hindquarters, but they can also sleep for short periods of time standing up.

Female giraffes can become pregnant at 5 years old. They carry a baby for 15 months and give birth while standing up. Newborns are about 2 m (6 ft.) tall and weigh 70 kg (150 lb.).

They live up to 25 years in the wild.

Conservation Status

Giraffes are classified by IUCN's Red List as vulnerable of extinction. After researchers surveyed the population in trucks, by foot, by aircraft, and by remote cameras, they confirmed the number of giraffes has plummeted 40% since 1985. With some subspecies, such as the reticulated giraffe, the situation is even more dire, with their population declining by nearly 80%.

Giraffes face several threats, including loss of habitat due to logging for firewood. They are also hunted for their meat, hides, and tails, which are valued by many African tribes.

What You Can Do to Help

To help preserve giraffe populations, boycott products made with giraffe body parts and encourage others to do the same.

Giraffe Distribution

Giraffe Resources

Blog Posts about the Giraffe

About the Author

P.A. Smith is a middle school Language Arts teacher. He is also a contributing editor of My House Rabbit.

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Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb) of leaves and twigs a day. Learn more giraffe facts at Animal Fact Guide!

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What if you could look in a second story window without even standing on your tiptoes? Giraffes can. Giraffes are the tallest mammals. Their legs are 6 feet long and so are their necks. Wild giraffes live only in Africa, but you can see them at the zoo.

Giraffes have only two predators, besides humans, crocodiles and lions. Giraffes are most vulnerable when they are taking a drink at a watering hole. They have to spread their legs wide to lower their necks. In this awkward position, they are easy prey for predators. Usually one giraffe keeps watch while another one gets a drink. If a giraffe is attacked, it kicks its attacker with its long legs and sharp hooves.

Fun Facts about Giraffes for Kids

Giraffes have hearts that are 2 feet long.

A male giraffe is called a Bull, baby giraffes are called Calves and females are called Cows

Giraffes sleep only five to 30 minutes every day. Usually they stand up to sleep. They only lie down if another giraffe can stand watch.

Giraffes can run up to 35 miles per hour.

These tall animals need a lot of food to keep them going. They eat up to 75 pounds of leaves every day. They love the leaves from acacia trees. These trees have long thorns but giraffes can eat around the thorns.

Giraffes have sticky tongues that can be 21 inches long!

A Giraffe gets most of the water they need from the leaves and plants they consume. They only need to drink direct water every few days

Giraffes don't like to be alone, they live in groups called Towers. Giraffes are social animals

Giraffes live wild in the African Savannas

The spots on giraffes are unique, no two giraffes spots are the same, just like humans - no two fingerprints are the same.

Giraffes have horns called ossicones - they are covered by hair and both male and female giraffes have ossicones. Males will sometimes use these horns while fighting.

Giraffe Vocabulary

Learn More All About Giraffes

Watch a video of these adorable giraffes:

A video about a baby giraffe's first steps.

Giraffe Q&A

Question 1: Why do Giraffes have such long eyelashes?

Answer 1: Giraffes have long, lush eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes.

Question 2: How many babies do Giraffes usually have?

Answer 2: Giraffes usually have just one baby at a time. The baby drops out of the mother 5 feet to the ground.

Question 3: What do Giraffes like to eat?

Answer 3: Acacia leaves and twigs are a Giraffe favorite. They also eat Flowers, Fruits and Vines.

Question 4: How long do Giraffe live in the wild?

Answer 4: It is estimated that a Giraffe can live up to 25 years in the wild and up to 40 years in captivity (Zoo). They live longer in captivity as they have no predators and plenty of food and shelter. It's still better to see them living outside captivity.

What are the main predators of a Giraffe?

Answer 5: Unfortunately Giraffe have predators such as Lions and sometimes Crocodiles. However, Giraffe are very agile animals and have a great awareness about them, they usually detect any threat of attack and make a run for it. Lions will generally attack a young Giraffe or injured. The Giraffes towering height will deter most predators.

Question 6: Why has a Giraffe such a long neck?

Answer 6: A Giraffe has a long neck for a number of reasons, the long neck allows them to survey the plains and spot predators such as Lions. They can also reach food high on tree branches. A Giraffe will also use their necks for what is called "Necking". Necking is when Giraffes fight. They swing their necks wildly and use their heads as clubs.

Question 7: Are Giraffes endangered?

Answer 7: Unfortunately the giraffe population has decreased by over 30%. Poaching and sprawling cities and towns are the giraffes main threat.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Giraffes info? Take the FREE & fun all about Giraffes quiz and download FREE Giraffes worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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What if you could look in a second story window without even standing on your tiptoes? Giraffes can. Giraffes are the tallest mammals. Their legs are 6 feet long and so are their necks. Wild giraffes live only in Africa, but you can see them at the zoo.

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It's time for the lowdown on one of nature's gentle giants! Check out our ten facts about the beautiful giraffe ...

Giraffe facts

1) Giraffes are found in the dry savannahs of Africa, where they roam among the open plains and woodlands.

2) Well known for their long necks, these gentle giants are the world's tallest living land animals. An adult male can grow to around 5.5m - that's taller than three adult humans!

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3) A giraffe's height is helpful for keeping a look out for predators, such as lions and hyenas. Their excellent eyesight allows them to spot hungry beasts from far away, too.

4) Herbivores, giraffes only eat plants. Their favourite grub is the acacia tree, and they use their long necks to reach the leaves and buds in the treetops. Their long tongues (which grow to a whopping 53cm!) also help them pull down leaves growing way up high.

5) And boy do these guys have an appetite! They spend most of their time eating, and can guzzle up to 45kg of leaves and twigs a day!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable giraffe primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

6) Whilst they may eat a lot, giraffes don't drink much water. This is because they get most of their water from their leafy meals, and only need to drink once every few days.

7) Giraffes are very social animals and roam around in groups. These groups, called towers, typically have around 15 members led by an adult male. The other members are females and young males.

8) To see who is stronger, males (called bulls) fight by butting their long necks and heads. This is known as " necking ". These fights aren't usually dangerous, and end when one bull admits defeat and walks away.

9) Female giraffes give birth standing up. The result? Newborns are welcomed to the world with a 1.5m drop to the ground! Ouch! But these infants are quick to get on their feet - within 30 minutes they are standing, and only hours later they"re able to run with their mothers.

10) In the wild these beautiful creatures live for around 25 years. In captivity they live longer, and have been known to reach 40 years old.

Images ⓒ Getty Images: Giraffe and babies, (10014200). Picture of giraffe with baby: Photograph by Roman Murushkin, Dreamstime. Picture of a baby giraffe: Photograph by Lukas Blazek, Dreamstime. Picture of giraffes eating from trees: Photograph by Warrengoldswain, Dreamstime

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10 giraffe facts! - National Geographic Kids

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Ten facts about giraffes for kids. Learn where giraffes live, what they eat, how tall they grow and more here at National Geographic Kids.