Giraffes are the tallest living animals in the world. Even newborn giraffes stand at about 6 feet tall, making them taller than most adult humans. Even though they’re tall, they don’t sleep a lot. Most giraffes sleep for about 10 minutes to 2 hours per day. Find out more!
Within 10 hours of being born, giraffe offspring can run with other giraffes without struggling. The patterns on each giraffe is unique, meaning that no two giraffes have the same pattern. Giraffe tongues can be as long as 45 centimeters, which allow them to pick at fruits and leaves from very tall trees.
Even though they’re tall, they’re able to run at speed of up to 35 miles per hour. They conserve water very well, primarily because they don’t sweat or pant when they’re hot. Adult giraffes only need water once per day.
Between their pregnancies, female giraffes have a two week period in which they can get pregnant. They’re able to run quickly because their long legs allow them to cover plenty of space in a short amount of time. This also means that they’re average walking speed is around 10 miles per hour.
They have sharp 12 inch hooves that can cause a lot of damage to predators. For example, they’ve been known to kill attacking lions just by stepping on them. A giraffe’s tongue is blue and black so it can be protected from sunburn in hot climates.