About This Animal

1. Tallest Animals: Giraffes are the tallest animals on Earth. An adult male can be up to 18 feet tall!
2. Long Necks: Giraffes have incredibly long necks, which can be about 6 feet long. But they still have the same number of neck bones as humans—just longer.
3. Spots and Patterns: Each giraffe has a unique pattern of spots, just like human fingerprints. No two giraffes have the same pattern.
4. Tongue Tricks: Giraffes have long tongues that can reach up to 20 inches. Their tongues are also dark purple to help protect them from the sun.
5. Gentle Giants: Despite their size, giraffes are generally very gentle animals. They use their height to reach leaves and fruits high up in trees that other animals can’t reach.
6. Fast Runners: Giraffes can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances. They can also maintain a speed of about 10 miles per hour over longer distances.
7. Short Sleepers: Giraffes don’t sleep much—only about 5 to 30 minutes a day. They take short naps standing up and sometimes lie down for longer rest.
8. Big Babies: A baby giraffe, called a calf, is about 6 feet tall when it’s born. It can stand up and walk within an hour of being born.
9. Heart Power: Giraffes have large hearts, weighing about 25 pounds, to pump blood all the way up their long necks to their heads.
10. Social Animals: Giraffes live in loose groups called towers. They are very social and communicate with each other using sounds, body language, and even by humming at night.

These amazing facts make giraffes one of the most fascinating animals in the wild!