Giraffe facts

The giraffes enemies are lions and large packs of hyenas. The giraffe defends itself against threats by kicking with great force. A single well-placed kick of an adult giraffe can shatter a lion’s skull or break its spine.

Giraffes are thought to be mute; however, although generally quiet, they have been heard to grunt, snort and bleat and also recent research has shown evidence that the animal communicates at an infrasound level.

The outstanding feature of the giraffe is its long neck. This is not due to an increased number of vertebrae. Giraffes have, like all other mammals, only seven neck vertebrae, which are greatly elongated.

The giraffe has one of the shortest sleep requirements of any mammal, which is between 10 minutes and two hours in a 24-hour period. This has led to the myth that giraffes cannot lie down and that if they do so, they will die.

A giraffe’s heart, which can weigh up to 10 kg (24 lb) and about 2 feet long, has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for an average large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity. In the upper neck, a complex pressure-regulation system called the rete mirabile prevents excess blood flow to the brain when the giraffe lowers its head to drink.

A giraffe will clean off any bugs that appear on its face with its extremely long tongue (about 18 in/45 cm). Giraffe tongues are distinctly blue-black to protect from sunburn.

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