Interesting facts about giraffes you don’t know

The giraffe is one of the funniest-looking animals on the planet. Here is a list of 9 fun facts to help you get to know it better:

1. The tallest
The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world. Males can reach 5.7 m in height up to the tips of their horns, while females are about one meter shorter. The neck alone is 2.5 m long, and males can weigh up to 1,930 kg (females up to 1,180 kg).

2. A neck like ours
Even though the neck of these creatures is much longer than a human’s, giraffes have the same number of vertebrae as we do—seven—although each bone is much longer.

3. Run!
Over short distances, the giraffe is a very fast animal, capable of running at more than 50 km/h when it spots a predator.

4. Incredible kicks
When they feel threatened, giraffes do not just run away—they fight back: they deliver powerful, lightning-fast kicks that can stun leopards and lions.

5. Neck blows
Male giraffes, like many animals, fight each other to establish a social hierarchy. They battle by “necking,” striking one another with their necks.

6. A strange camel
In the past, people thought giraffes were a kind of strange camel. In reality, the two animals are not related at all; however, the giraffe, just like the humped inhabitant of the desert, can drink very little—even as little as once every two days. 

7. Calves that fall
Baby giraffes come into the world rather abruptly, because they fall from about one and a half meters high. Fortunately, they are able to stand up and walk just one hour after birth.

8. They sleep standing up
Giraffes usually sleep standing up, although in some cases they can be found curled up on the ground—but only for very short naps of about 6 minutes, because that position is too vulnerable. 

9. Why do they have such long necks?
We explain it here.