Giraffe

기린

The tallest animal, over 5 m high, yet its neck has the same seven vertebrae as ours. Its tongue is about 45 cm long and wraps around thorny acacia leaves, and a calf drops more than 1.5 m to the ground when it is born.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Diet: Plant eater (herbivore)
Weight: about 1,000 kg
Top speed: about 60 km/h
Lifespan: up to about 25 years
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN VU)
Habitat: savannas

Quick answers

Where does the Giraffe live?

It lives in savannas. On the globe you can find it near Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

How big is the Giraffe?

It grows to about 1,000 kg.

What does the Giraffe eat?

Its diet: plant eater (herbivore).

How fast is the Giraffe?

It can reach about 60 km/h.

How long does the Giraffe live?

It can live up to about 25 years.

Is the Giraffe endangered?

It is listed as Vulnerable (IUCN VU).

The giraffe is the tallest living animal. Fully grown giraffes stand about 4.3 to 5.7 metres tall, and males are taller than females. They live in the savannas and open woodlands of Africa, from Chad and Niger in the north and west down to South Africa. Every giraffe has its own pattern of patches, a bit like a fingerprint, and two to four short, furry horn-like bumps called ossicones on its head.

Being so tall lets giraffes eat leaves high in the trees that other plant-eaters cannot reach, and it helps them spot lions from far away. Scientists once thought there was only one kind of giraffe, but recent DNA studies suggest there may be four separate species. Giraffes are listed as Vulnerable because their numbers are falling as they lose habitat and are hunted.

Amazing body

A giraffe's neck is very long, yet it has only seven neck bones, the same number as yours; each bone is just much longer. Its legs alone are taller than many adults, about 1.8 metres. To pump blood all the way up to its brain, a giraffe has a strong heart weighing about 11 kilograms, with walls up to 7.5 centimetres thick. Its dark tongue is about 45 centimetres long and can wrap around branches to pull off leaves. Giraffes can run as fast as about 56 km/h over short distances.

What does it eat?

Giraffes are herbivores that browse on leaves and buds high in trees. Acacia trees are a favourite, even though they are covered in thorns; a giraffe's flexible, hairy lips and long tongue help it eat around the spines. Like cows, giraffes bring food back up and chew it again as cud. They get most of their water from juicy leaves, so they only need to drink every few days. Drinking is awkward and risky: a giraffe has to spread its front legs wide or bend its knees to reach the water.

Family life

Giraffes often wander in loose groups, and these groups change members often. Males sometimes compete by swinging and bumping their long necks, which is called necking. Mothers give birth standing up, so a newborn calf drops more than 1.5 metres to the ground. That fall is not a problem: the calf can stand within about half an hour and run with its mother about ten hours after it is born. In zoos, giraffes were found to sleep only about 4.6 hours a day, in short bits.

Fun facts

A giraffe's neck has seven vertebrae, the same number as a human's.
A giraffe has seven neck bones, exactly the same number as a human.
A giraffe's tongue is about 45 cm long and dark in colour, which may protect it from sunburn.
A newborn giraffe can stand up about 30 minutes after birth.
A giraffe's heart weighs about 11 kg so it can push blood up that long neck.
Giraffes get most of their water from leaves and only need to drink every few days.