![]() Their long, strong, and prehensile tongues allow giraffe to selectively pluck leaves from in between thorns found on some of their preferred feeding trees. A giraffe’s tongue is also the strongest of any animal, and it can be an impressive 18 inches long! For comparison, the average human tongue is between 3 to 3.5 inches long. However, giraffe tongues are only similar to opossum tails in that they are both prehensile, meaning they can grasp onto things. They do this by swinging their necks against each other in a behavior called ‘necking’. Lastly, male giraffe will use their long necks to compete with other males. ![]() Because of their unique vantage points, other grassland prey species will often look to giraffe for signs of incoming danger. Their long necks also help them spot distant predators. This decreases food competition between them and other plant-eating animals. A giraffe’s long neck allows it to eat leaves high in the trees. These large vertebrae link together to form those famous long necks we all know and love. TALL TALE!Įven though the neck of a giraffe can be eight feet long and weigh up to 600 pounds, they only have seven neck vertebrae - the same number of neck bones that humans have! But unlike our vertebrae, each of theirs can be up to 10 inches long. Giraffe have more neck bones than a human. Do you think you could spot a giraffe in the savanna? The brown spots against the tan colored hairs also provide the giraffe with camouflage in their savanna habitat. There is actually a complex network of blood vessels underneath each spot that helps dissipate or reduce body heat in hot climates. ![]() ![]() In fact, their spot patterns are similar to our fingerprints, because they are unique to every individual animal! Another cool detail about giraffe spots is that they act as “thermal windows” that regulate giraffes’ body temperatures. TRUTH!Īll giraffe do have different coloration patterns. So, let’s play Truth or Tall Tale to find out more fun facts about the world’s tallest animal… Each giraffe has a unique spot pattern. If you didn’t know those facts, don’t fret! Learning is exciting and knowledge is power. In honor of the upcoming World Giraffe Day, let’s test your giraffe knowledge! Did you know that a group of giraffe is called a tower? Were you aware that giraffe can snort like horses, moo like cows, and hum like your Aunt Frida? Did you realize that World Giraffe Day takes place on June 21, because it is the longest day of the year? ![]()
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