Gerald

The tallest animals in the World!

Baby giraffes are about 6 ft tall when born and can grow to be 20 ft tall as adults - the tallest mammals in the world!

A giraffe’s tongue is 18 to 20 inches long and blue-black. Some people think the colour is to keep the tongue from getting sunburned.

Giraffes eat mostly tree leaves and are browsers rather than grazers like wildebeest and antelope. They have four stomachs (similar to other ruminants such as cows) where they regurgitate their food and chew it completely. Giraffes drink very little and can go up to two weeks without water.

Males have horns of bone, covered in skin, but do not shed them.

It has a unique set of blood vessels in it’s head to allow its massive heart to pump blood to the brain when the head is held high, but to stop it pumping too much blood to the head when it’s head is down, such as when drinking (a 5m or 18ft difference!).

It has a very slow breathing rate. Its unique, tight, tough skin that stops bad bleeding or blood pooling, has been studied by NASA space scientists for astronaut gravity-suits.

At birth, a calf has to drop 1m but always arrives rear feet first to break the fall.