10 Weird Giraffe Facts That Sound Completely Made Up
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| 10 WEIRD GIRAFFE FACTS |
10 Weird Giraffe Facts That Sound Completely Made Up
Giraffes are famous for their long necks, spotted coats, and incredible height. But their unusual appearance is only the beginning.
These African giants have dark tongues, horn-like structures covered with skin, remarkably high blood pressure, and a fighting style that turns the neck into a powerful weapon. Even the way they walk, sleep, drink, and give birth can seem almost unbelievable.
Here are 10 weird giraffe facts that prove they are among the most extraordinary animals on Earth.
1. A Giraffe’s Tongue Can Be About 21 Inches Long
A giraffe’s tongue can reach approximately 21 inches, or 53 centimeters, in length.
The tongue is prehensile, meaning it can grasp and manipulate objects. Giraffes wrap it around leaves and carefully pull them from branches, including the thorny branches of acacia trees.
Its dark bluish, purple, or blackish coloration is often said to provide some protection from intense sunlight while the giraffe spends many hours feeding. However, the precise reason for the dark color has not been conclusively established.
The lips and inside of the mouth are also tough enough to handle many sharp thorns.
2. Their Long Necks Have Only Seven Vertebrae
A giraffe may have a neck measuring around six feet long, but it has only seven neck vertebrae—the same number found in most mammals, including humans.
The difference is size.
Each of a giraffe’s neck vertebrae can measure more than 10 inches long. These enormous bones, combined with powerful muscles and ligaments, support the animal’s heavy head and towering neck.
A giraffe’s neck can weigh hundreds of pounds, yet the animal can move it with remarkable speed and control.
3. Giraffe “Horns” Are Not True Horns
The structures on top of a giraffe’s head are called ossicones.
Unlike the horns of cattle, ossicones develop from cartilage that gradually hardens into bone. They remain covered with skin and hair.
Both male and female giraffes normally have ossicones. Males use them during fights, while mature males may also develop additional bony deposits on the skull. This can make some older males appear to have three or even five horns.
4. Male Giraffes Fight With Their Necks
Male giraffes compete through a behavior known as necking.
During these contests, two males stand beside each other and swing their long necks like giant clubs. Their heads and ossicones can strike an opponent’s neck, chest, or body with tremendous force.
Some encounters are relatively gentle tests of strength. More serious fights can be violent and may cause injuries.
The winner may gain a higher social position and better access to females. That peaceful-looking neck is therefore both a feeding tool and a weapon.
5. Their Blood Pressure Is Extremely High
A giraffe’s heart must pump blood several feet upward to reach its brain. To overcome gravity, an upright giraffe can generate blood pressure exceeding 200 mmHg.
Such pressure would be dangerous for humans, but giraffes possess specialized cardiovascular adaptations that allow their bodies to function normally.
Their hearts have powerful muscular walls, and their blood vessels help manage the intense pressure. Their lower legs also have thick skin and connective tissue that act somewhat like natural compression garments, helping prevent excessive swelling.
A giraffe is essentially living with blood pressure that would represent a medical emergency in a human.
6. Lowering the Head to Drink Is a Major Physical Challenge
Drinking water is surprisingly complicated for a giraffe.
Because its neck cannot comfortably reach the ground while the animal is standing normally, a giraffe must spread its front legs widely or bend its knees. This position makes it more vulnerable to predators and creates a dramatic change in the height of its head.
A recent physiological study measured what happens when giraffes lower their heads by several meters. Their heart rate and pressures change, while specialized blood vessels help protect the brain and maintain blood flow.
When the giraffe raises its head again, its circulatory system must prevent a sudden loss of blood supply to the brain. Without these adaptations, the animal could become dizzy or faint.
7. Giraffes Sleep in Short, Unusual Bouts
Giraffes are famous for sleeping very little, but claims that every giraffe sleeps only 30 minutes a day are too simplistic.
Studies show that giraffes sleep in multiple short periods, with total sleep varying according to age, environment, safety, and whether the animal lives in the wild or captivity.
They can rest while standing, but deeper sleep is usually associated with lying down. When sleeping in this position, a giraffe may fold its legs beneath its body and curl its long neck backward, resting its head near its hip.
This posture leaves the animal vulnerable because getting back onto its feet takes time. Remaining alert is especially important in areas where lions and other predators are present.
8. Every Giraffe Has a Unique Spot Pattern
A giraffe’s coat pattern is unique, much like a human fingerprint.
No two giraffes have exactly the same arrangement of spots. Researchers can therefore use photographs and pattern-recognition software to identify individual animals in the wild.
Different giraffe species and populations also have distinctive general patterns. Reticulated giraffes, for example, have large dark patches separated by narrow white lines, while Masai giraffes often have irregular, leaf-like patches.
The patterns also provide camouflage by breaking up the giraffe’s outline among trees, shadows, and vegetation.
9. Giraffes Walk Like Camels
When walking, a giraffe usually moves both legs on one side of its body and then both legs on the other side. This unusual movement is called a pace.
Camels also use this type of gait.
The side-to-side motion helps keep a giraffe’s long legs from colliding. When running, however, its movement changes. The rear legs swing forward outside the front legs, and the neck moves rhythmically to help maintain balance.
Despite their awkward-looking proportions, giraffes can run at around 35 miles per hour, or 56 kilometers per hour, over short distances.
10. Baby Giraffes Fall About Five Feet at Birth
Female giraffes usually give birth while standing.
As a result, the newborn calf drops approximately five feet, or 1.5 meters, to the ground. The fall breaks the umbilical cord and can help stimulate the calf to begin breathing.
The newborn may look fragile, but it is already around six feet tall. Many calves attempt to stand within about an hour and can begin following their mothers soon afterward.
A giraffe therefore enters the world with a fall that would be terrifying for most newborn animals.
Bonus Fact: Giraffes Chew Their Food Twice
Giraffes are ruminants, just like cattle.
After swallowing leaves, they later bring partially digested food—called cud—back into the mouth and chew it again. You may even see a lump of food traveling upward through a giraffe’s long neck before it begins chewing.
This process helps the animal extract more nutrients from tough plant material.
Why Giraffes Are Truly Extraordinary
A giraffe’s strange characteristics are not random. Nearly every unusual feature helps it survive.
Its tongue gathers leaves from thorny branches. Its tall body reaches food unavailable to many other animals. Its powerful circulatory system sends blood to a brain located far above the heart. Its distinctive gait keeps its long legs from becoming tangled.
Even its neck serves several purposes: feeding, watching for predators, maintaining balance, and fighting rivals.
Giraffes may appear calm and gentle, but they are highly specialized animals built to survive in challenging African environments.
Unfortunately, wild giraffes face habitat loss, illegal hunting, and other human-related pressures. Learning about these animals is not only entertaining—it also reminds us why protecting their habitats matters.
The next time you see a giraffe, look beyond its height. You are looking at an animal with one of the strangest and most impressive bodies in nature.
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Key Takeaways
- A giraffe’s tongue can grow to approximately 21 inches long.
- Giraffes and humans both have seven neck vertebrae.
- An upright giraffe’s blood pressure can exceed 200 mmHg.
- Every giraffe has an individually distinctive spot pattern.
- Newborn giraffes may fall about five feet when they are born.
FAQ
How long is a giraffe’s tongue?
A giraffe’s tongue can be approximately 21 inches, or 53 centimeters, long.
How many bones are in a giraffe’s neck?
A giraffe has seven cervical vertebrae, the same number as a human. Each vertebra is extremely elongated.
Why do giraffes have such high blood pressure?
Their hearts must generate enough pressure to pump blood upward through the long neck and reach the brain.
Do giraffes really sleep for only 30 minutes?
Not always. Giraffes sleep in short periods, but total sleep varies with age, safety, habitat, and living conditions.
Are giraffe spots unique?
Yes. Each giraffe has a distinctive coat pattern that researchers can use to identify the individual.
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